Inspiration house built in Castle Pines

Shea Homes takes lead in 2023

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A father of ve and former basketball coach found himself getting slower and noticed it was becoming harder to move around as his muscles were deteriorating.

In early 2021, Frank Cawley was diagnosed with a rare in ammatory disease called Inclusion Body Myositis.

“I can’t really walk,” said Cawley. “My lower extremities, my legs have become incredibly weak, my arms and my ngers are starting to get the same way. It’s just a ecting everything that I do.” e foundation upgraded Cawley’s ramp to make it more stable and installed an automatic door.

Cawley had contacted the Home Builders Foundation following his diagnosis to help renovate his home for a wheelchair.

When renovations looked to be too expensive, he and his family found a wheelchair accessible house in Castle Rock where the foundation had helped make modi cations for the previous homeowner.

Cawley realized that additional modi cations were needed to accommodate his wheelchair.

“ ose might not seem like gigantic things but just to have the condence that I’m not going to fall,” said Cawley. “ ey need to know that they helped me because they gave me kind of a renewed purpose to help others.”

Cawley is one of many who have received life-changing assistance from the Home Builders Founda- tion. e Home Builders Foundation is a Denver metro nonpro t organization that works with the homebuilding industry to modify homes for people living with long-term physical disabilities. e foundation supports projects related to access. ese projects include widening door frames, inserting showers for more accessible wheelchair access, adding lifts to help navigate staircases or access one level to another and ramps. e 2023 Inspiration House is a collaboration between Shea Homes and trade partners that bene t the Home Builders Foundation. e contributions from the trade partners in addition to a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the home will be donated to the foundation. e house is being built in e e home is part of Shea’s Reserve Collection, featuring three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a study room, nished basement with a wet bar and covered deck. e 3,200 square foot walk-out home sits on a corner homesite with views of open space and mountains.

“We coordinate e orts to make the modi cations for the clients living with disabilities by soliciting in-kind donations, dollar donations and skilled labor to do the work for those clients,” said Beth Forbes, Home Builders Foundation executive director.

“ inking about access in and out of the home, not just for safety and security, in case of an emergency but also so that the individuals living in their homes can get out and access their community,” said Forbes.

“We take that donation and turn it around to help many clients in the Denver metro area that need our help modifying their homes,” said Forbes.

Canyons, a neighborhood in Castle Pines, east of I-25 for anyone to purchase.

“We go out to our trades and we ask for donations in time and material,” said Scott Czarnek, Shea Homes’ construction manager and Home Builders Foundation board member. “We have 32 trade partners that have committed donating time and material and we valued that at about $170,000.” e home is expected to be nished by the end of the year. e foundation has helped more than 2,000 individuals with modications. And as the foundation’s work extends beyond the client but to their family, friends, neighbors and caregivers, the foundation estimates they have helped between 8,000 to 10,000 people, said Forbes.

In addition, the Home Builders Foundation is celebrating their 30th anniversary.

According to Forbes, not only has the foundation seen a signi cant rise in applications over the last year requesting services, but costs of doing projects has also increased due to supply chain and labor shortage issues.

Donations can be made to the ninth Inspiration House at https:// hbfdenver.org/inspiration/inspiration-house-2023-donation/.

“ e funds that they’re raising through the groundbreaking are going to help just countless, countless numbers of disabled individuals across the state,” said Cawley.

Highlands Ranch Ice Cream Social turns 25

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Nothing beats the summer heat like delicious frozen treats. For $2, residents can delight in a variety of them while listening to live music and enjoying a summer afternoon in Civic Green Park.

e Highlands Ranch Ice Cream Social, which turns 25 this year, runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests can purchase wristband for $2 to get access to the treats.

Event sponsors, Safeway will provide pre-packaged ice cream and Highlands Ranch Orthodontics will provide snow cones. Food trucks, including Mac ‘N Noodles, Mile High Cheesesteaks and Denver Street Tacos will also be available. e event is cash only. All proceeds will be donated to YANA, a nonpro t organization that provides programs to moms in the community so they know they are valued and supported. ere will also be a variety of vendor booths with youth activities, tness classes, wildlife education and more.

Paul Borrillo, former actor and