Fellow Volvo-groupers,

I'm sure most of you have read my previous posting "A sobering message to us all" and heard the story about my olds friends who tragically lost their precious 7 year old boy in a tragic parking lot accident a few days ago.

Well, there's more bad news to the story but we can do something to help turn this part around. Michelle & Andy have a condo that they used to rent out to help supplement their income. I think it's in Braeside. They need this extra income more than ever now since Michelle will be staying home off work for a few months to be with their 4 year old son and to get over the tragedy of losing their 7 year old. The problem is Michelle only gets 3 weeks berievement pay and then her income stops. I assume Andy will try and keep working to keep some money coming in but they really depend a lot on Michelle's income and the income they receive from their rental condo to make ends meet.

The problem is that their last tenants were literally the tenants from hell and totally trashed the place leaving holes in the walls and doing all sorts of other damage to the place. My ex-wife who works with Michelle and I are trying to raise some money to buy some building materials and/or get some building materials donated and we're also trying to get a party of volunteers to go in and fix up their condo for them so it can be rented out again.

Katya (my ex) says that the people where she and Michelle work are passing the hat around to scrape up some $ for the building materials and some will be donating labour. We think we might be able to get the rest of the funds & materials we need for fixing up their condo by appealing to Gerry Forbes on CJAY 92 who does that thing where they help out people who've suffered misfortune and need a helping hand.

If any of you want to donate some money that would be great but what I'm mostly hoping is that some of you will agree to pitch in and help fix up the condo once we're ready to go in there and do the repairs.

I think it would be really cool if a whole bunch of us could meet up somewhere close to their condo and then decend on the place driving in a big line of Volvos and then get in there and work our tails off fixing place up. I'd like to get a video of a big line of Volvos showing up like the calvary coming over the hill to save the day. It would also be a good chance for a bunch of us to get together and do something good and positive as a group. Those of you with teen aged kids might want to bring them along to help out as well - a great lesson opportunity in social responsibility and community involvement.

Any of you interested/available to help out ? Not sure yet when the work party will happen. We still need to get the funds and materials together to complete the job. Hopefully that won't take too long. I'm hoping we can do the work party sometime in early July. Can you give me a show of hands so I know how many people might be able to help out if the scheduling works out ?

Also, if any of you are drywallers or know a drywaller who'd be interested in donating some labour to the cause, their services would be most welcomed and needed.

Thanks heaps.

Drive careful,

Roj

Hi Roj,

I could come up frome Lethbridge - loaded with tools etc. Let me know what the plans are and I'll make my way up. I don't know if the 122 would make the trip, but I've got lots of experience building.

Craig

I could help out depending on the date of course. I have done drywalling before but I wouldn't call myself a dry waller.

I'm not a professionnal builder, but I can do a good job with painting, so depending of the date, I might be able to get there if needed.

I may be able to help depending on when (like everybody.) Keep us informed...

i may be able to help aswell depending on my work schedule, im always up for some painting!

Thanks guys, that's awesome !!

I'll let you all know as soon as I know when it will be.

Roj

hey, if it still hasn't been done yet, I know i'm not much of a handywoman with the hardware stuff, but if they needs help with the clean-up stuff, I can't screw that up!

...and to be really evil, I think someone needs to tape the big line of volvos with that whole...what is that called? the triumphant charge thing...that's well known...umm...dangit!

Ride of the valkyries?

Roj, I'm in - I can do drywalling

- R

no, that's not it, isn't ride of the valkries more sinsiter sounding? (if i'm remembering right isn't that the one Mr. Burns wanted to play when he was going to smash the Simpson home?) No, the one I'm thinking is like a trumpet charge...umm...gonna go girlie for a minute, they did use it in The Princess Diaries...other things too I just can't remember...

I wouldn't say Ride of the valkyries is sinister sounding?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf-qrA4TxfI <-- music in there.

- R

still not the one i'm thinking of though...gaah IMDB is letting me down...gonna havta pop in the dvd and see if it's on the final credits...
and no, of course not, they wouldn't show that! grr...swear to god whenever I meet up with you boys I'll start humming it or something and you will all know what i am talking about!

Whaddaya say Roj? Whats going down? You guys get all your building materials and stuff?

Chime in!

- R