It is inspiring to see what a community can accomplish when it comes together to work on a project. Bekins, in partnership with Whirlpool, was honored to participate in just such a project to help the family of a local fallen veteran. In 2019, Timothy Price purchased a fixer-upper with the intention of turning it into his young family’s dream home. The house was in such bad shape that major remodeling needed to be done before the family could move in. Tim was planning to do the remodel himself with the help of a few friends, but after only a few weeks of work both the project and the Price family received a major blow; a mass had been discovered in Timothy’s brain. Surgery to remove a large portion of the glioblastoma, and radiation treatment put Timothy into a wheelchair and the remodel on indefinite hold.
Friends of the Price family turned to the Kalamazoo Home Builders Association (HBA) for help, who in turn had over 30 different members, including Bekins, commit to donating time, materials, and manpower to complete the home for Tim and his family. While those involved in the project struggled against the supply chain disruptions, product delays, and job-site shutdowns COVID caused, Tim’s condition worsened, and he sadly lost his courageous fight before he could see his family’s dream home completed.
On Friday, April 30, over a year after the project began, Tim’s wife received the keys to her fully remodeled home at a dedication ceremony to thank those involved and honor Tim’s memory. At the ceremony, when asked in conversation what her favorite part of the home was, their youngest daughter said: “Our refrigerator has ice in it!!!”
You can take a virtual tour of the home during the 2021 Parade of Homes Presented by The HBA of Western Michigan. The Parade runs August 5–8 and 12–14. Click here for more information about the Parade.