A Worthy Milestone

Greenland Homes aims to and surpasses $500,000 in charitable funds.

It began simply as a desire to give back, to share the good Greenland Homes has received as builders in central Iowa.

The Ankeny firm began partnering with the Children’s Cancer Connection in 2012, after hearing its Realtor®, Tammy Heckart, of Heckart & Associates at Re/Max Concepts, share her family’s experience with the organization. “Tammy learned about the Children’s Cancer Connection (CCC) when her nephew, who was four at the time, had cancer,” says Greenland’s founder, Corey Kautz. “When we got to know them, we knew it was the right fit for our charity build.”

Less than a decade later, Greenland Homes is hoping to surpass the half-million-dollar mark with its fundraising efforts. “This is our sixth Charity Home with Children’s Cancer Center,” Kautz says. “We’re excited to be building in our hometown of Ankeny this year and set a goal of raising enough to pass $500,000 in total funds raised.”

Children’s Cancer Center, based in Des Moines, offers its programs free to juvenile cancer patients and their families. Partnerships on projects like those with Greenland Homes are key to its continued work.

“The support we receive from Greenland Homes and from Tammy allows us to continue serving children and families affected by childhood cancer,” says Children’s Cancer Connection CEO, Jennifer Hines. “Getting the kids involved is exciting, and Nora, this year’s Cancer Warrior, will proudly represent our Children’s Cancer Connection family.”

“From the ground up, our Charity Home is built through partnerships with local contractors who, like us, understand the importance of our mission,” says Kautz. “They contribute materials, installation, and their time. They do this to make sure we can donate as much as possible to CCC through the home sale. Our celebration event is a chance to show off our hard work and celebrate another year of giving.”

With each project, Children’s Cancer Connection selects one of its juvenile recipients to serve as Cancer Warrior. That child gets to participate in a variety of promotional events. This spring Cancer Warrior Nora was filmed at her home sharing a little of her story. She was also recognized at the celebration event when the home was complete.

Heckart says, “This is the sixth time I’ve partnered with Greenland Homes to donate through the sale of a Charity Home. This year we’ve reached a huge milestone, with our total donation amount exceeding half a million dollars! We’re so excited to celebrate this achievement! I first learned about CCC through my own family, and I’m honored to continue giving to this cause.”

She adds that the project always concludes with an evening event to recognize all those who shared in making the build possible. “We have an open house at the project home and just celebrate the work Children’s Cancer Connection is doing.”

This year’s open house, held from 5:00–8:00 p.m. on September 30, included food trucks, a tour of the home, and live music. Attendees enjoyed a cool fall evening at the northeast Ankeny site.

“Because of social distancing recommendations, we opted for an outdoor event this year,” Heckart says. “This allowed us to celebrate the project in an open environment that was safer and more comfortable for everyone.”

The 1,505-square-foot ranch home, located in Ankeny’s Aspen Ridge development, features three bedrooms, an open living and kitchen layout, and a three-car garage. The list price was $350,900. The house has already sold!

Proceeds from the home’s sale, including Heckart’s sales commission, will go primarily to support Children’s Cancer Connection, with portions also going to the State of Iowa’s Iowa Child Advocacy’s CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program and the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

Children’s Cancer Connection, a nonprofit founded in 1988, provides its programs at next to no cost for cancer patients and their families. CCC offers camps, retreats, support services, outings, and more. Learn more about its programs and how you can get involved by visiting ChildrensCancerConnection.org.

Thank you!

These vendors partnered with Greenland Homes to make this year’s Charity Home possible.

• Aspen Aire
• Bailey’s Excavation
• Beisser Lumber Company
• Centurion Stone
• Contractor’s Services(TruTeam)
• EW Lighting
• Factory Direct Appliance
• Factory Direct Bath, Kitchen, and Lighting Gallery / Ferguson
• HomeServices Lending
• JMT Trucking
• Kohles & Bach
• Kovacevich Carpentry
• Macarthur
• Made in the Shade Blinds & More Des Moines
• Midwest Curb Grinding
• Northland Foundations
• Prairie Pella, Inc.
• Redfox Inspections
• Royal Flooring
• Stensland Sod Inc
• Tesdell Electric
• The Flooring Guys