The Ride Of His Life For The Lives Of Others

How many 12 year old kids are thinking of ways to help other children have the basic necessities that we often take for granted?  In a culture where we have access to so much, it is easy to lose perspective of the needs that so many struggle to have in a such a basic form.  Let me introduce you to Scotty Parker – this young man lives in Charleston, SC, but has a heart that reaches beyond our borders.  This young man has been raising money for people to have clean water for years. He raised $70,000 to have three water filters installed and this year he set his sights on a total of $500,000! 

Scotty has been telling everyone who will listen about this burden and passion he has for helping people access clean water. He’s been training for the “ride of his life”, literally – one that will span the West coast to the East coast. He’s starting his 3,720 mile ride from Santa Monica pier to Charleston, SC over his summer break.  The hope is that he’ll be able to make the trip on two wheels in 8 weeks!

I had the privilege of meeting Scotty several months ago at a fundraiser for this dream that will enable countless people in Honduras to have access to water.  His passion, boldness and drive left quite an impression on me. Join us in cheering for him and supporting him on this ride for lives to be changed!  Let’s not lose sight of something so basic that we take for granted… our access spans from drinkable tap water, filtered water, bottled water, every kind of size and shape for frozen water to cool our beverages, endless hot water for showers and more. Can you find a way to dig deep in your pockets to help Scotty be the feet that will peddle for awareness and the actual life changing gift that the poor of Honduras will receive due to this heart of gold found in a young man?  Join the team of many who have generously supported him to this point – what a great way to be a part of such a big vision Scotty had that will bring immediate relief.

Click HERE to donate directly to Scotty’s Ride for Water through Water Missions International!

Talking with Scotty Parker about his upcoming ride at one of the fundraisers
Picture right to left: Scotty, Beoncia, Azari - my god-daughter and me

Catching up with the Grill master, Andy at the fundraiser

 

Habitat Builders Blitz - Celebration and Thanks

After just one short week, a lot of sweat, (and some tears too) - we can now celebrate a safe, affordable, new home for a deserving family and the completion of the 2016 Builders Blitz! This past Saturday Structures had the privilege of gathering with our homeowner Judy's friends and family, many of the volunteers and trades who participated in the build, and the staff of both JacksonBuilt Homes and East Cooper Habitat for Humanity to dedicate the home and celebrate a new chapter in Judy's life.  Several ECHH staff spoke as well as Structures owner, Steve Kendrick, and Richard Jackson, owner of JacksonBuilt Homes giving thanks for an incredible week of hard work and wishing Judy all the best in her new home!

 

 

 

 

And we simply cannot say thank you enough to the MANY trades, suppliers, donors, and volunteers who made this Builders Blitz possible!  Both Structures and JacksonBuilt Homes gathered some of their best trades and suppliers to donate time and material - and in a very busy building season, this was a generous gift!  We also had several local restaurants who donated lunches and snacks each day of the build.  It was a great reminder that not only do we love what we do - but we love the people we get to spend our days with building up the Lowcountry.   

THANK YOU:

Professional Building Supply, Huber Wood Products, 

Contractor Nail and Tool, Universal Forest Product, 

Mejia Brothers Construction, Ferguson Enterprises

Builders First Source, Contract Exteriors, 

Lowcountry Plumbing and Gas, Lanehart Electric,
Carolina Custom Air, East Coast Wall Systems,

TCI, Wender Desouza, Distinctive Designs

Mt. Pleasant Lock and Security, Lowes,
GN Painting, Whirpool, HD Supply, Lennox
Carolina Lanterns, Carolina Tree Brokers

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs, Cupcake Downsouth, 

Jersey Mikes, Kickin’ Chicken, Tazikis, 

Mercantile & Mash, Raising Cane’s, Island Overstocks,

Garden Pixies, Southern Lumber & Millwork,
Culpepper Wood Preservers, Agave's Cantina, 

Brooks Signs, Glass Act Productions

Check out more photos of the Builders Blitz and see how a house comes together in just one week HERE.

Habitat Builders Blitz - That's a Wrap!

 
As the final days of the 2016 Habitat Builders Blitz came into view, our incredible crew of trades and suppliers worked almost around the clock to wrap up the project!  The kitchen cabinets were installed, interior walls painted, flooring installed, door and cabinet hardware placed, all plumbing fixtures were put in, and appliances delivered.  All hands were on deck from East Cooper Habitat for Humanity and both the Structures team and JacksonBuilt Homes to bring the build to a close.  And Judy, our homeowner, continued to work alongside us every step of the way.  It has been a joy to get to know her through this process, and we couldn't be happier to give the keys of this home to her.

Here are a few photos of the last couple of days of the Builders Blitz - stay tuned for more to come when East Cooper Habitat for Humanity dedicates the home with a celebration on Saturday!

 

 

      

 

 

Porches, Paint, and Sheetrock!

The Habitat Builder's Blitz is moving right along this week, and the house is starting to take shape (and have some color!)  The early part of the week had windows and doors being installed and electrical and plumbing rough ins complete.  And now we are on to exterior trim, building the porches, painting siding, and getting ready to hang sheetrock.  It's exciting to see it all come together so quickly, and we are so thankful for the incredible dedication and hard work of our trades out at the job site!  Structures and JacksonBuilt Homes have gathered a great team of generous trades who have been working long hours to get Judy and her son into their new home!

Here is a look at what has been happening in the last couple of days:

 Structures team members, Steve Yeomans and Dave Hargis talk through the details!

 

 Volunteers giving their day to serve with East Cooper Habitat for Humanity.

 

2016 Habitat Builder's Blitz Kicks Off!

We are thrilled to announce that the 2016 Habitat for Humanity Builders Blitz is officially underway!  This is the third time Structures has partnered with East Cooper Habitat for Humanity in building a safe, affordable home for a local family in just one week!  This year, we are working along side JacksonBuilt Custom Homes and ECHH to give a single mom and her son a great home here in the Lowcountry.  Judy, our new homeowner, has been a joy to work with and has certainly been on the job site each day sweating it out with our amazing trades!

And speaking of our trades - this project would not be possible without the generous support of our trades and suppliers who are donating their time and resources to making this Habitat Blitz possible.  We cannot thank them enough!

It has been hot, and we've battled a few rain showers, but so far the Builder's Blitz is going great!  Check out a some photos of the first few days of the project:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The Structures Team with our amazing framers!!)

 

Structures on Daniel Island Luxury Home Tour: Saturday, April 30

We have a great opportunity to share with our Structures friends and family!  Have you been perusing our online portfolio of custom homes and thought, “if only I could see these great details in person…?”  Now is your chance!  We are inviting you to step inside a beautiful Structures custom home and have a look around.  We will be participating in the Daniel Island Luxury Home Tour on Saturday, April 30 from 1pm - 5pm, part of the annual Charleston Home + Design Show.  The home tour takes you through 6 custom homes on the island by various builders.  The Structures stop on the tour is a stunning lake-front home designed by Cobb Architects, and our wonderful clients are opening up their recently completed custom home to you! 

Join us next Saturday, April 30 to view this incredible home and say hello to one of our Structures team members.  You can purchase tickets and find more details for the Daniel Island Luxury Home Tour online HERE!  

Bacon & Brew Bash with Charleston Home Builders Association

When we’re not busy building beautiful custom homes, there are few things we enjoy more than a competitive cook-off…especially if it involves BACON!  The Charleston Home Builders Association’s annual themed cook-off gave us the opportunity to gather with other professionals in the industry at Holy City Brewing and show off our culinary skills by incorporating bacon in each dish.  The Bacon & Brew Bash allowed teams to use the tasty treat to create a cocktail, an appetizer or a dessert.  We all then served up our creations at a farmyard themed table!

Structures kept things simple and Southern with a ‘Piggy Pimento Cheese’, whipped up by Production Manager, RP Newton.  It was a hit at the event, and while not winning top honors in the competition, guest foodie judges, Chrissy Kohler and Brandon Baylor of Charleston’s News 2 seemed to really enjoy their sampling.  

Our other entry in the competition was a layered ‘Bacon Bark’ concocted by Structures team member, Jennifer Simpson.  It was rich with chocolate, caramel, marshmallow and a sprinkling of candied bacon.  It was, well...messy.  And while this incredibly tasty treat also did not award our team a trophy, we thoroughly enjoyed sharing it with everyone!  

It was a fun night of bacon-wrapped EVERYTHING, great beer from Holy City Brewery, and spending time with other CHBA members!  

6th Annual Charleston Mac Off - October 24

We'd like to take the opportunity to add one more must-do event to your Charleston culinary experience - a celebration of one of the South's finest (and most delicious) achievements:  Macaroni & Cheese!  The Mac Off is an annual event to give 25 local restaurants and caterers the chance to show off their skills and compete for mac & cheese fame.  Last year, the competition drew over 6,000 people to Patriot's Point in Mt. Pleasant to enjoy a variety of traditional and gourmet selections of the dish. 

Bring out the family and enjoy this fun Charleston event - here are the details:

Charleston Mac Off 
Saturday, October 24th
2 - 7 PM
The Grove at Patriot's Point (Mt. Pleasant)
Advanced Admission: $10 + $1 per tasting ticket

* For more info, visit the event website HERE. *