With hard hats and heart, community builds a home to help kids at St. Jude, Part 2

In the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, in the town of Queen Creek, people file in through the front door of a new home being built on a prime corner lot. Many wear hard hats and boots, though they aren’t here to work but to celebrate.

This is the first St. Jude Dream Home in the Phoenix metropolitan area, part of a nationwide fundraising campaign to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Built by Woodside Homes of Arizona and its trade partners, who donated their time, materials, and expertise, it will be raffled off to raise $1 million.

Each person involved has a heartfelt reason for their contribution — a personal “why” that underscores the power of their purpose. All together, they show what a group of people can do when united by a common cause.

“No one contractor can do this, but together, look what can happen,” said Amanda Walker, business development manager at Bobier Sales in Phoenix, the local representative for Brizo, who donated all the plumbing fixtures for the kitchen and baths. “It’s so touching to see how much good there is in the community.”

Construction is complete — and went off without a hitch. Trade partners and work crews stayed on schedule. Even the weather cooperated. 

Three months after breaking ground, the people involved gathered to see the progress and write messages of hope on the concrete floors, a tradition at St. Jude Dream Homes across the country.

These folks, from all walks of life, are doing more than building a two-story, 1900-square-foot house, with three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms and a garage. Together, they are doing something to make a difference in the world. Something good. 

Galvanizing the team

Randy Freberg’s family started his business, R/S Service and Supply Inc., in 1974 with two goals: Build a trusted brand — and help others. He’s done both, including supporting St. Jude. 

For more than 12 years Freberg donated to St. Jude anonymously. “I wasn’t looking for a pat on the back,” he said. “I wasn’t looking for a thank you.” But at Thanksgiving dinner in 2020, his son suggested he go public about his support to encourage others to do the same.

“I have a major soft spot in my heart for kids, and what St. Jude does for kids is incredible,” Freberg said. He remembers how he worried when his three kids were young and came down with just the flu. “I cannot imagine being told my child has cancer,” he said.

Freberg reached out to the Phoenix office of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, asking, “What can I do to help?” He has since sponsored fundraising events and volunteered his time. Last summer, Freberg put in a call to his friend and trade partner Joe Vannelli, Division President of Woodside Homes of Arizona, to see if he would build a St. Jude Dream Home. 

Freberg was sure Vannelli would say yes. The men serve together on the board of a nonprofit that helps people experiencing homelessness. Woodside Homes of Arizona supports a women’s shelter and families struggling financially during a child’s illness. 

Vannelli told Freberg he’d need to think about it and talk to his team. Freberg called back two weeks later —and a week after that. Vannelli, also a dad of three, told Freberg, “I can’t think of anything better.” 

One morning in October, Vannelli and Freberg stood together before about 30 trade partners at Woodside Homes’ offices and asked for their help. “There’s work to be done,” Freberg told them. If enough trade partners joined them, offsetting all building costs, every dollar raised from ticket sales would go to St. Jude. “This is not a have-to,” Freberg said. “This is us asking you.”

Chairs pushed back almost in unison. The trade partners lined up to sign up to help on a whiteboard with a quote from St. Jude founder Danny Thomas printed along the bottom: “Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”

Building more than a house

Steve Troth was the youngest of five children raised by a single mom after his parents divorced when he was just a toddler. His mom, a bookkeeper, worked hard to provide for her family, and while they didn’t always have everything they needed, they had each other.

When money was short, they’d have to move — and then move again — but there was one constant. “She was always there,” Troth said. His mom made sure that every place they lived felt like home. 

Maybe that’s why Troth, director of sales and marketing for Woodside Homes of Arizona, went into home building. “I’m sure it was influential on how I feel about home ownership,” he said. His upbringing instilled in him a sense of home that’s not only a physical structure but love and togetherness. 

“I don’t think of home ownership as a commodity,” Troth said. “It means something to me to know that we’re designing homes that offer stability and security that will hopefully provide years of enjoyment.”

For Troth, a dad of three and granddad of two, homes are powerful places. He felt that strongly as the St. Jude Dream Home went up, raised by a community that cares. By February, 39 trade partners had signed onto the project, their donations bolstered by five national sponsors to cover 100 percent of the costs. The 10,000 tickets for the May 7 giveaway went on sale for $100 each on Feb. 26, and sold out in 28 hours, raising $1 million for St. Jude.

“It’s not that we have to do this — we are fortunate that we get to do this,” Troth said. 

“If we can help one child through this, if this small endeavor can save the life of a child, or prolong the life of a child, or contribute to finding a cure, there is nothing better you can do with your efforts.”