Suncoast Builders Association builds playhouses for children with cancer

Wearing a pink hard hat, Dianne Beaton of the Suncoast Builders Association's Professional Women Builders Council gave instructions as workers put roof panels on a playhouse. 

"Someone's put together IKEA furniture before," one of the workers joked, making the others laugh.

Approximately 15 feet away, the association's Young Professionals Committee already had completed the construction of a playhouse's exterior frame and had moved to the interior, installing a sink and stove. 

While those professionals usually are working on a grander scale, this project was every bit as important.

The work benefitted the nonprofit Roc Solid Foundation, which is based out of Virginia with a mission to "build hope for every child and family fighting cancer," according to its website. 

The playhouses the Suncoast Builders Association committees were creating during its Hearts & Hammers event Sept. 11 were for a 5-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy who live in the Tampa Bay area and have cancer.

Photo by Liz Ramos

"Your home is your special place and it's a safe place," said Debbie Urban, the vice president of the Suncoast Builders Association. "Now these children are going to have their own home, their own special and safe place."

Jessica Seper, the director of membership, councils and committees for the association, said Roc Solid Foundation has been "amazing to work with" and she wants to become more involved with the nonprofit. 

Seper said the playhouses were a way for members to give back to the community. 

"We, as builders and developers, don't always have the most glorious reputation, so this is our opportunity to give back to the community and show we're more than just about building houses and creating developments, Seper said. "We are about our local families. We want to offer support any way we can."

The playhouses were decorated specifically for each child and delivered to the families Sept. 12. 

The playhouse for the 5-year-old girl was covered with glitter and twinkly lights. Her favorite color is purple, so the sign stating "Dream Playhouse" was purple. 

Inside the house, members of the Professional Women Builders Council wrote encouraging messages. For example, Reaunetta Hatcher wrote "Girl Power."

Photo by Liz Ramos

The 3-year-old boy's playhouse had characters from Super Mario Brothers on the outside and Paw Patrol characters on the inside. 

The association learned the children love coloring and crafts, so the association bought coloring books and arts and crafts items to put into the playhouses. 

Besides providing a special playhouse, Hearts & Hammers also serves as a networking opportunity for the association's members as well as a friendly competition to see which committee could build the playhouse the fastest. The winner would have bragging rights. 

"It's all friendly," said Kim Boynton, the chair of the Young Professionals Committee and a Suncoast Builders Association board member. "It's interesting to see them come up with the same design in different ways. Two plus two equals four, but so does one plus three. It just depends on their technique versus our technique. We're all winners in the end anyway."

Seeing the committees come together for a good cause was heartwarming for Boynton.

"As a young child, I was that child who was receiving from the community. My parents didn't have money," Boynton said. "Being able to now be successful enough to be on the giving end makes make happy, knowing I'm continuing to pay it forward."

After a successful first year partnering with Roc Solid Foundation, Seper said this is just the beginning. 

Seper, Urban and Boynton all said they hope to have more committees involved next year so the association can build more playhouses to impact children. 

"We're going to make it bigger and better and help more children have a little, safe place," Urban said.