We are two simple people who wanted to do something to ease the pain of children losing an integral part of their lives. We had no idea what we were doing, we just knew we had to do it. It was our hope that we could bring some joy to a child who surely has no concept of the tragedy they are caught up in. And hoped in the future they would see that many people across the nation truly cared about their loved one and the sacrifice their family endured.
This journey was a delicate dance, our sole purpose was to honor their hero. It was important to learn everything we could so that we could not only honor their service but everything that was important to them and celebrate their life.
As we posted the first pictures and began to see the support and comments we were in awe. When the family began interacting we were thrilled beyond belief. The stories of Chris’ childhood antics brought us even closer to understanding this young man we were trying to honor.
The delivery of Apache One was so humbling. Would the months of diligent work meet their expectations? As Scott said his first speech, you could hear a pin drop as he uncovered Apache One. The soft sighs and tear filled eyes said it all! What an amazing journey…..
Looking back now, we were so very naive. It was nearly two years later, at the delivery of another tribute rocker when Mike Thibodeau, the brother of our first hero spoke. He told us that we didn’t just bring joy to a child, that we were the light at the end of a dark tunnel……….(tears). We had no clue the impact Hero’s Rock would have, but it was far beyond our wildest dreams!
We had no idea what we were doing, and yet it felt as angels guided us. We have worked hard over the past few years to explain what Hero’s Rock was all about and now with the collapse of our woodshop…..amazingly we discovered how many others understand! It is so heartwarming to know others care about what we do. We often say, we are merely the hands, it is the wonderful caring people across this nation that make Hero’s Rock happen!
We have no doubt we have angels watching over us! And we are so blessed to have so many people who care enough to help us get rebuilt! There are no words to express our gratitude!! We thank you all so very much….from the bottom of our hearts! You are ALL our heroes!
