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King gets his proper credit
March 30, 2002 - Sarasota
Herald-Tribune - Harold Bubil
John King didn't do what he did just to get his name in the paper. He
doesn't think it's necessary I write this column.
But you build a house for a family in need for free, you spend a year of
your life sticking with a cause despite overwhelming obstacles, and you
get your name in the paper. You also get an award from the National
Association of Home Builders.
King is the contractor (his company is Rampart Homes) who built a house
for the Glenn and Gail Salter family of Sarasota after their
teen-age son, Paul, was paralyzed playing football. But not just
any house; it was specially designed with technology to meet Paul's
needs.
The award, the "Home Builders Care" Community Service Project
Award, was presented to King and the Home Builders Association of Sarasota
County by the NAHB during its International Builders Show last month in
Atlanta. The Sarasota association shared the award because so many members
volunteered labor and materials.
King was one of three finalists for the national honor, which included the
presentation of a check for $5,000, since donated to the Success by Six
early childhood education program.
"I was really taken aback," said King. "You'd think in the
entire United States ... there's a lot of folks out there. People are
doing a lot of different projects, but I guess this one really caught
people's eyes for having such a dramatic impact on a family and an
individual."
King didn't know he had won until the announcement was made at a board
meeting during the convention.
"I was sitting in the VIP section with a couple hundred people in
it," said King. "I didn't know if I was going to win or not. It
was quite something, I was very proud and honored."
King wants the project's legacy to go beyond the $5,000 and the plaque on
his wall. "My hope is that the Salter project inspires
other folks to do similar kinds of things," he said. "If you
believe in it hard enough, you can make it happen."
It took a lot of believing to build the Salter house, he said.
"We ran into a lot of obstacles. It took its toll us," he said,
referring to his wife, Didi, who spent countless hours on the phone
coordinating the project. "There were some very frustrating days when
we thought we had it all worked out and it got all jumbled again because
this person or that person failed to come through on their commitment. It
was just ... whew! But it did finally come together.
"A lot of love and sweat went into that house."
All
content © 2002 Herald-Tribune Corp. and may not be republished without
permission.
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