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Lexington Homes Honored for 10 ‘Extreme Team’ Projects
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Lexington Homes volunteers celebrate the completion of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project. The project led to the development of the company's "Extreme Team Partnership," which has been involved in 10 Florida community service projects to date. | Lexington Homes, a large volume regional builder based in Port Richey, Fla., was honored by the National Housing Endowment — the philanthropic arm of NAHB — for creating the “Extreme Team Partnership” which has resulted in television coverage of 10 community service projects in four Florida counties.
 Three different television shows documented the builder's community service work through the partnership and promoted the building industry. The partnership united 450 separate organizations in six states behind the community service projects, securing $1.48 million in donations.
Lexington Homes was awarded the 2005 Bronze National Housing Endowment Builder Achievement Award for Outstanding Community Service during the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla. last month. As winners of the award, Lexington Homes received a $2,500 donation to be directed to the charity of their choice. Lexington Homes selected the Jessica Marie Lunsford Foundation for its donation. The foundation, based in Homosassa Springs, Fla., helps children in crisis.
“Lexington Homes has a deeply involved sense of community,” said Dan Bicz, CFO for the builder. “The issues affecting our neighbors directly affect us as builders and as members of the community at large. We don’t participate in charitable projects as isolated outsiders, but as neighbors and friends. To be recognized for our work is a great honor and one that we feel highly grateful for.”
The foundation of “Extreme Team Partnership” was laid in the fall of 2004 when Lexington Homes was involved in a construction/donation project for Hunter’s House, a project that raised urgently-needed funds for a lung transplant for 7-year-old Hunter Wilhelm.
Following that project, Lexington Homes was featured on ABC-TV’s "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" for building a house for the Dolan family. The company's efforts also included raising $30,000 to train the family's guide dog, which was named "Lexie" after the company.
Both those efforts led Lexington Homes to creat the “Extreme Team Partnership” so that the company could continue working on community projects, and with media support, continue to raise needed funds for these projects.
The partnership's 10 projects to date have included the renovation of a 90-dog facility that trains guide dogs and the donation of a playground and solar system to one of the poorest schools in the state. The builder’s efforts have been recognized by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who last year declared March 12 “Lexington Homes Day” in the state.
“Lexington Homes exemplifies how the charitable work of our industry can build relationships and improve our image in the media,” said Gary Garczynski, chairman of the endowment and 2002 NAHB president. “Their ‘Extreme Team Partnership’ is an innovative program that touched the local community while representing our builders as philanthropic neighbors."
Seven other builders were honored with Builder Achievement awards during the presentation at the builders' show.
The awards were established through a grant to the endowment by Isaac Heimbinder, vice chairman, president and COO of Kimball Hill Homes, based in Houston.
For the complete list of winners, click here.
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