St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a well-known nonprofit that does incredible work for kids battling childhood illness. While the hospital’s impact is widely recognized across Kansas City and the U.S., for some, the full extent of its work in the community isn’t always clear. Brian Tebbenkamp, a builder from North Kansas City, was one of those people until he got involved in the St. Jude Dream Home project.
Before being asked to build the next St. Jude Dream Home in Kansas City, Tebbenkamp’s only connection to the organization was a childhood memory of participating in an elementary school fundraiser. Over time, he started noticing Dream Home campaigns in other cities. He would watch as builders took on the project in those places, and he got a good sense of what was involved.
One day, Tebbenkamp received a voicemail that made him hesitate. When he called back, he was met with excitement from a St. Jude representative. She explained that they had been interviewing a number of builders, contractors, vendors and suppliers and they had chosen his company, Patriot Homes, to bring the campaign back to Kansas City. A St. Jude Dream Home is a house built and raffled off to raise funds for the hospital’s mission. A $100 ticket gives people a chance to win the house.
While the fast-paced and high-profile nature of the project made it a bit nerve-wracking at times, Tebbenkamp found that one of the best parts of building the Dream Home was meeting new people. The first Dream Home that Patriot Homes built in 2023 was one of their own floor plans, but with upgraded finishes. Thanks to national sponsors who donated some of their best products, Tebbenkamp and his team were able to work with brands they normally wouldn’t. Tebbenkamp mentions that working with these new partners and meeting people throughout the process was one of the most rewarding aspects of the project.
This was the first time Patriot Homes had been involved in a project of this scale. While the company had previously donated time and resources to local organizations, the Dream Home project gave them the opportunity to contribute in a way that would have a much larger impact. Tebbenkamp explains that the St. Jude Dream Home project was a perfect fit for the company’s culture of giving back to the Kansas City community. He is incredibly proud of his team for the time, effort and passion they put into the build.
For Tebbenkamp and his team, the meaning of the Dream Home project goes far beyond raising funds. Knowing that their work is helping families get the treatment they need for their children is incredibly rewarding. As a father of two healthy kids, Tebbenkamp notes he can only imagine the struggles families with sick children face. Many people don’t consider how difficult it must be for parents to balance work, caregiving and raising other children while dealing with a diagnosis of cancer. What makes the Dream Home project even more meaningful is that the funds raised ensure that families at St. Jude don’t have to worry about paying for their child’s treatment.
Patriot Homes has taken their involvement a step further this year by building their second St. Jude Dream Home, which was completed in March of this year. The team has learned so much from their first Dream Home build and was glad to do it again with this second project. The hard work and dedication of the team have only grown since the first house, and they are thrilled to continue giving back to such a meaningful cause.
One of the most special elements of the Dream Home is a bronze St. Jude coin embedded in the front porch, where everyone who enters the house must step over it. The coin serves as a reflection point. A small, but significant way to honor the children and families affected by cancer. Tebbenkamp says it’s something uniquely special about the St. Jude Dream Home.
The project has been a turning point for Tebbenkamp and his team. It allowed them to give back in a way that felt personal and impactful, and the knowledge that they were helping raise money for an organization that does so much for families battling cancer made the experience even more rewarding. The St. Jude Dream Home is a campaign that Patriot Homes is proud to lead here in Kansas City.
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