- April 26, 2024
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The tension and excitement grew in the ballroom at Hammock Beach as Paul Hunt and reality TV star Ty Pennington facilitated a live auction Saturday, March 7, for the chance to build next to Pennington on a Flagler Habitat for Humanity home. With the opening bid at $100, it was anyone’s game, all proceeds going to Flagler Habitat. It didn’t take long for the bidding to reach $5,000, at which point, a bidding war began between Nancy Katz and Barbara March. With bid raises in increments of $1,000, Katz eventually took the prize at $10,000.
But it wasn’t the end of the line for March. Seeing the overwhelming generosity of the Flagler County community, Pennington offered to donate another build day for her second place, $9,000 bid. The combined donation plus the over 200 tickets sold to the event put a great dent in raising the funds to build the Rouke family home, Flagler Habitat’s 91st home, which is set to begin construction March 23.
“We are so appreciative of everyone constant support,” said Lindsay Elliot, executive director of Flagler Habitat for Humanity. “The phrase, ‘let’s work together,’ truly embodies Habitat for Humanity – working together with families, working together with volunteers, working together with donors, working together with civic organizations and churches. It isn’t done with staff, it isn’t done with just one person — it’s truly a community working together and I think this is evidence of that.”
For the Rouke family, the Hard Hats and High Heels gala made them speechless.
“It’s amazing,” Raymond Rouke Sr. said. “I’ve never been to something like this and seen this many people wanting to help.”
He was joined by his wife, Barbara and their son, Raymond Jr. They have been part of Flagler Habitat for the past seven months and in the first month-and-a-half, they each completed the 150 hours of sweat equity, which is record time. For perspective, they are only required to do 20 hours a month. Their final 100 hours of their 250 will be on their own home.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, get other people’s houses built,” Raymond Rouke Sr. said.
Rouke has also always had a dream of owning his own home and he also made that promise to his wife, who he started dating in middle school.
Despite their bright disposition, the Rouke family does live in pretty dismal conditions. Their very old mobile home in Daytona North has no central heat or air and the two window units that they do have, have cracks all the way around the outside, letting the outdoors in. Despite their best attempts to maintain their home, it is falling down around them.
The Roukes story is one that Pennington said touched him.
“To be able to meet them and see the struggle they’ve gone through, and also to see that love they have for one another — this family is about to take part in a dream they’ve always had and a promise he’s given to his wife and to know that they’ve gone through the channels of Habitat, to know that they are going to have the skills, they are going to have the resources, they are going to have the know-how, it touches you,” Pennington said.
Pennington, who is building his new home in The Hammock, was the guest speaker at the event thanks to those simple connections that only a small town can give. Thomas McDermott, husband of Flagler Habitat Board President Sandra McDermott, happens to be building Pennington’s dock and reached out to him.
“Habitat is one of those organizations that I’ll work with any time,” Pennington said. “They do great things, and they do what I love doing, which is giving somebody a chance to own a home.”
Pennington said his attending the gala, and throwing out the first pitch at the Palm Coast Little League opening ceremony earlier that day are helping him to get acquainted with his new town.
“It feels really great to be part of a community like that,” he said. “When I have a schedule like I do, you’re always going from one place to another, that idea of starting to get roots somewhere is not a bad idea. I have friends that live down here, so that’s one of the reasons I chose it. But already it’s a warm and inviting community.”
For more photos, click here.
