Crews donate time and labor to help build 2019 St. Jude Dream Home

GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) - The 2019 St. Jude Dream Home is starting to take shape in the Landon Green subdivision. It’s a labor of love that will help raise thousands of dollars for cancer research.

"It means everything to me," said James McCoy with Elliott Homes. "Cancer is such a big part of everyone's lives. Everyone's been affected by it."

As McCoy worked with an all-volunteer crew to install siding on this year’s St. Jude Dream Home, he reflected on the experience.

“It’s just great to be a part of something this big and what little bit I can do to give back. It might not amount to much, but it means a lot to me and everybody else in this community,” McCoy said.

On Saturday, a crew of 15 trade workers donated their time and labor to get all of the siding work completed in a single day. That’s been a trend with this year’s home.

As builder Brandon Elliott notes, it’s the first home ever in the state to be built completely free of charge to St. Jude. All materials and labor have been donated. That made the work that much easier for those involved.

“We got all the guys out, Brandon and all his crew, so, it’s a great cause,” said Joseph Morano with Absolute Siding. “It’s a great day.”

Morano and his team were excited to get to work on this part of the build.

“We’ve been with Elliott Homes around nine months to a year,” Morano said. “They had asked us if we wanted to do the St. Jude Dream Home, which is a very good cause, and I had all feet in, we was ready to go.”

Seeing their enthusiasm got everyone else in the same spirit.

“These people care,” McCoy said. “They care about the community. We work with these guys day in and day out. They’re our trade partners, and it’s nice to be able to get down and get dirty with them. If they’re going to come volunteer their time, you bet I’m going to come out here and help them out and volunteer mine.”

With the siding work finished, the $370,000 home is about 70 percent complete.

The home will be given away live on WLOX TV on Sunday April 7.

Copyright 2018 WLOX. All rights reserved.