Posted on 04/11/2005 10:03:58 AM PDT by wmichgrad
A simple roofing project snowballs into a face-lift for Leoni Township home. Melissa Radabaugh returned from vacation at dusk Saturday to a completely different home than the one she left a week earlier.
A new roof. A fresh coat of paint on the outside, on the windowsills, in the living room, in the laundry room. A new front door. A driveway. A remade front entrance with ceramic tiles. A stained and varnished deck without the disrepair. Landscaping.
The entire project at 7604 E. Michigan Ave. in Leoni Township -- a surprise for Radabaugh -- took countless hours, thousands of dollars, donations from businesses and individuals, and the indelible spirit of a community that thrives on helping friends who need it but would never ask.
Taking a page from the television show "Extreme Makeover," what started as a roofing project evolved into a nearly complete face-lift for her house.
"It's not an extreme makeover, but it's as extreme as we can get," said Dave Keener, a friend and one of the organizers of the project.
When Radabaugh, a single mom with four children, decided to use her tax-refund money for a trip to Disney World with her kids rather than fix her leaking roof, her friends from Grass Lake decided she would get both.
The operation actually started two weeks before Radabaugh, her four children and her friend, Gina Lammers, along with Lammers' two children, embarked for Orlando, Fla. Donations were sought from area businesses, and people were recruited to help on the roofing project.
But when word spread of the generosity in the Grass Lake community -- where her parents live and her children attend school -- more people offered to help.
"It's amazing how everything fell into place," Keener said. "It's good. It's part of living in a small town."
Radabaugh returned Saturday night to find about 60 people, all associated with the project through effort or donations, waiting in her yard. As the minivan pulled into the new gravel driveway, people piled around it, waiting to see the expression that would make the work worthwhile.
Lammers, who was driving and knew about the project the entire week, started to reveal what was going on.
Radabaugh emerged from the passenger seat to hugs and jokes, wearing an expression of shock and happiness, her hand pasted to her forehead when it wasn't being used to brush away tears.
As she made her way toward the house, up the new walkway of mulch and steppingstones, the sea of people parted.
As she toured the house, a small mob followed though with her, pointing out all the new additions and changes that emerged from the project. Everything smelled like clean.
"Where's Melissa," someone shouted.
"She's still crying. She'll be out in a minute," someone replied.
Radabaugh stepped out onto her new deck, a cold beverage in hand, and was greeted with shouts of "We love you, Melissa." Her face now wore a half-smile, lips pressed tight, trying to conceal a waterfall of tears as her family and friends milled around.
Hours after Radabaugh left for Florida, the same friends and family arrived ready to start a week's worth of work.
By Tuesday, her house was a tornado of activity -- and a mess. Keener scurried around putting the final touches on the roof.
Children prattled throughout the yard picking up pieces of litter and playing. Another friend, Pam Wirpio, was busy keeping one eye on her children and another scraping the windowsills, getting them ready for a fresh coat of green paint.
Inside, floors were bald with wood, kitchen walls were scraped bare and the living room smelled of fresh paint.
"It kind of all snowballed," Wirpio said.
"I think it's something that shows the community spirit, how everybody, when they know there's a need, they rally around."
Jennifer Keener, Dave's wife and one of the organizers, announced the timeline while taking a break. "Ninety-six hours till the family comes home," she said to no one in particular.
As the week wore on, the project grew. People driving by, who knew Melissa and heard of the effort, offered to donate whatever they could. A furnace was installed, replacing one that was decades old. A new freezer was put in the basement and promptly filled with food.
Only hours before Radabaugh returned, people still were shuttling back and forth trying to make last-minute changes.
Jennifer Keener, bleary-eyed from the work, took a minute to sit on the couch.
"Melissa is one of those people who just touches you in so many ways. She would be there no matter what," she said. "She's just one of those people. She's amazing."
Later in the evening, the glare of a bonfire lit the party in the back yard.
Radabaugh finally had a chance to breathe, and to consider what happened.
"I've always treasured my friends and made them important in my life," she said. "Obviously, it shows. They have stepped up to help me out, in more ways than one. Thank you isn't even enough. It is truly, truly overwhelming."
-- Reach reporter Scott Hagen at shagen@citpat.com or 768-4929.
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