by Alisha Semchuck, staff writer

Raising funds for housing construction was not a mission impossible for the Homes4Families organization members who arranged a virtual Hearts for Heroes Builders’ Ball 2021 March 6, with participants embracing the adage — the show must go on.

Homes4Families members saw the restraints mandated because of the COVID-19 pandemic as a wrinkle to be ironed out, rather than a barrier to a successful fundraising event. Persistence kept them determined to find a way to proceed with the annual event so they could continue their construction projects in Palmdale and move forward with plans for another site in Los Angeles.

Their financial goal for the event was $100,000. By night’s end they received $267,800 in donations, as well as money from an auction of unique items such as a Tiki Boat Tour of Channel Islands to observe wildlife in the area, on a vessel considered a floating bar, and a virtual cooking class for two with The French Laundry chef Thomas Keller, whose upscale restaurant sits in the Napa Valley.

Other specialty auction items included a personally signed guitar from singer Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, along with a 20-minute face-to-face Zoom call and lunch for four with Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger at Athenaeum in the California Institute of Technology —  just a sample of the various auction packages available to bidders.

A preshow video featured endorsements from more than a dozen veterans and volunteer supporters who praised the efforts of Homes4Families.

“I’m very grateful this program exists,” said Navy veteran Kelso Campoverde, who, like other low-income veterans, benefitted from the project. Without the assistance from Homes4Families, Campoverde said, who knows if he “would ever have the chance to own a home.”

Army veteran Karen Burbank said she is “still struggling with PTSD and some other traumas.” After leaving the military, she moved back to Los Angeles and found herself jobless. She never considered owning a home at the time. Then Homes4Families entered her world.

Lisa Guerrero, correspondant for the news show “Inside Edition”, said 98 percent of the donated funds go directly toward helping low-income veterans.

Actor Phillip P. Keene of the TV show “Major Crimes” said, “It’s part of what we do as Americans. We take care of each other, especially for our military families. At the very least they should have a home and some food and a good place to live.”

The show, honoring the aerospace industry, kicked off at 6 p.m. with a warm welcome from radio legend/TV announcer Shadoe Stevens.

Then host John Ross Bowie of “The Big Bang Theory” took the podium, identifying the elected officials participating, a list that included U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia, R-CA 25th District; California Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-36th District; Los Angeles County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger; Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian; Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda; and Santa Clarita Councilmember Jason Gibbs.

Bowie also applauded the event’s three aerospace honorees — Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and Edwards Air Force Base.

Northrop Grumman has been a “great supporter of veterans and Homes4Families,” Bowie said. Lockheed Martin “volunteered countless hours to Homes4Families.” Edwards also “devoted thousands of volunteer hours” for the construction projects.

Bryan M. Mahoney, sector vice president of Operations, said, “At Northrop Grumman we take great pride in our long history of supporting our veterans and those who currently serve to protect our freedom. We are privileged to be a part of our local community.” Mahoney noted the many hours that company employees contributed to the construction projects.

Jeff Babione, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, has been with the company for 27 years. He spoke about the future focus, described as Visionary Technologies, intended to “make a lasting legacy in the communities that we serve.”

Babione called Homes4Families “an enormous staple in our community.” He said Skunk Works employees are as passionate about projects outside of work as they are on the job. With that enthusiasm, they contributed time to building homes for veterans. He pointed out that many veterans “live with physical and emotional wounds. Taking part in these events shapes who we are.”

Col. Randel “Laz” Gordon accepted the recognition for Edwards on behalf of Brig. Gen. Matthew Higer and the 412th Test Wing. Gordon said he was “honored to accept the Hammer of Hope Award.”

Gordon also mentioned that it bothers him to know that individuals who served this country can return and find themselves living below the poverty level and in some cases homeless.

The program through Homes4Families is “vets helping other vets — one of the greatest things we can do for one another. We really appreciate the partnership we have with the community,” Gordon said.

This event offered participants more than speeches. A game and live entertainment helped fill three hours, in addition to the auction and testimonials.

Bowie likened the game to a treasure hunt, but in this case the objective centered on finding the answers to six questions. For one question, game players had to name at least one feature of the homes designed specifically to meet veterans’ needs. Bowie said the first player to text six correct answers for those questions would win a new barbecue. He joked that the winner could invite him over because he loves barbecues.

First on the bill for the night’s entertainment was singer-songwriter John Ondrasik, better known by the stage name Five for Fighting. He performed his Grammy-nominated song “Superman.”

“’Superman’ was my first connection with our soldiers,” Ondrasik said. That song came out in 2001. Ondrasik said he received emails from troops overseas deployed to the Gulf War telling him that the song helped them through their struggles. He was drawn to help at a veterans’ event on a weekend. There, he peered into the eyes of veterans’ families. He saw their tears and their smiles.

Because the night was dedicated to aerospace honorees, actor Drew Powell, known for his role as Hoss Cartwright in a prequel to “Bonanza,” chose to perform the Elton John hit “Rocket Man.” Powell said he was grateful for the Homes4Families organization.

Ondrasik returned, this time performing the song “World.” He said hopefully for next years’ event, everyone will be together in person. Reflecting on the song, he philosophically asked, “What kind of world do you want?” He thanked all the veterans and the active military, the military families and the folks who support them. “That’s the kind of world I want,” he said.

Actor and songwriter Keith Carradine, who hails from a show business family with an abundance of talent, performed his mellow, Academy Award-winning tune “I’m Easy.” In that segment, Carradine appeared with an enormous beard he grew while homebound during the pandemic. He was asked to keep the beard for a movie role. At the end of the song, he thanked Homes4Families and also thanked veterans for their service to this country.

Carradine appeared again, this time accompanied by his brother Robert, to perform “Leaving On a Jet Plane,” written by John Denver in 1966, with a cover also recorded by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary.

A clean-shaven Carradine visited one of 78 homes constructed in Santa Clarita to check out essential details provided for veterans’ needs — everything from LED lighting to self-closing drawers that make no noise. A banging sound when a typical drawer is shut can trigger a flashback for veterans who were in combat. These homes are built with a double thickness of drywall in addition to insulation, as a buffer to street sounds for the same reason to minimize flashbacks of battle. Tubs in the bathrooms have a grab bar to assist permanently injured veterans in getting in and out without slipping or falling.

Carradine spoke with Bridgett Mills, senior director of Urban Planning and Program Design at Homes4Families. Mills explained that veterans must attend financial literacy classes that focus on budgets and help them maintain a good credit score. Veterans are also required to commit a certain amount of time to volunteering on home construction projects for other veterans.

Actor Tate Ellington, best known for his role in “Remember Me,” a film about two young lovers who both suffered family tragedies involving death, served as auctioneer for the night. His contagious energy, coupled with his friendly persuasion, helped garner dollars quickly for the organization.

Ellington and Bowie acted like a tag team, with Bowie describing the auction items and Ellington amassing the greenbacks.

Ellington said he had participated in two celebrity builds. As he coaxed more and more money from bidders, he told them “you are helping an amazing cause.”

A video explained the cramped living conditions some veterans and their families endured prior to their affiliation with Homes4Families. One of those veterans even lived in his car for a while.

“Now that you met some veterans,” Bowie said, “you can get a sense of the profound change that can come about from some of these programs.”

Donielle DeLeon, director of Corporate and Community Engagement, said. “Now, because of the pandemic” Homes4Families is missing the Team Build component of construction projects, which relied on the work of volunteers to help build homes and property fences as well as various other chores, saving the cost of paid labor — a financial benefit for the program.

At the same time, DeLeon said, “Lumber prices are up. There are shortages of everything. It’s costing us a lot more, but we are committed.”

Bowie gave a shout out to the event committee, led by chairwoman Maria Weintraub, for a job well done. About the money raised, he said, “That’s a lot of houses we helped build tonight.”