| A splash of color goes a long way in dedicating Charity House Built by Sasser Construction in Founders Pointe |  |
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Inspiration comes in many forms, but it takes a little dedication and hard work to make a vision into a masterpiece. And that’s exactly what five children from Portsmouth’s Douglass Park Unit of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia did on a chilly March afternoon in Founders Pointe a few years ago when they painted a mural on the wall in the garage of a Homearama home built by Sasser Construction.
The Sasser Home served as the Charity House at Tidewater Builders Association at the first ever Spring Homearama held in Founders Pointe, located in the Carrollton area of Isle of Wight County, Virginia. When the home was sold, the proceeds went to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia to help fund programs aimed at helping at-risk young people succeed in school and realize their life’s potential.
The home was one of eight fully furnished and landscaped homes that were on display during the 16 day event.
The mural was designed by Neisha Bethly, a senior program director with the BGCSEVA, after visiting the community. “I wanted something that represented the area,” said Bethly about her inspiration for the painting. “As I was walking down the Founders Pointe pier, I saw the plaques that described the local wildlife and its habitat,” she said of the 844-foot Observation Pier which overlooks Batten Bay and the James River.
The finished product was a scene depicting the neighboring Batten Bay with a heron resting in the marsh. “I superimposed the dogwood and tulip with the marsh” to add a touch of spring to the mural, Bethly added.
Putting their artistic touch on the mural were Boys & Girls Club members: Armond Townsell, Gary Thomas, Markel Harding, Dimetry Brown, all 11 years old, and Barbara Toussant, 9.
A labor of love
Portsmouth-based builder Eric Sasser and his team at Sasser Construction built the Charity House.
“Community involvement has been a hallmark of Sasser Construction since our beginnings and in these difficult economic times, it’s even more critical that we all do what we can, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to help those in need,” Sasser said. “The charity of choice for 2010, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast
Virginia, does such fine works and helps so many in our community, Sasser Construction is honored to have been chose to build the Charity House.”
Sasser’s company was named Southern Living Custom Builder of the Year in 2010. It has twice participated in the Habitat for Humanity Home Builders Blitz where homes are constructed in five days – first in 2006 in Portsmouth and then as lead builder in 2008 in Suffolk. The company also built out the Maryview Foundation Health Center in Portsmouth that serves the area’s uninsured and recently renovated the Portsmouth Woman's Club clubhouse. The Sasser Southern Living Showcase Home,built in The Riverfront, also in 2010, also helped raise $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity.
A place of hope
Now in its 91st year, the BGCSEVA has grown from the single club begun in 1919 in Norfolk to 10 club units throughout the region from Franklin to Exmore on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. BGCSEVA serves boys and girls of low- to moderate-income families, many of which are headed by single parents and/or grandparents. In communities where school dropout rates are high, BGCSEVA stands as a beacon of hope for young people in need of nurturing, understanding and guidance in meeting the demands of homework, socialization and building self-esteem. Trained professional staff also provide positive adult mentors and role models for the children.
Sara Steil posted most of this article in the Tidewater Builders Association Homearama page for the Spring Homearama 2010.
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