Build-a-Thon Opening Ceremonies

NFL superstar and hometown hero Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda, joined a parade of local and state political leaders, business sponsors and representatives from Habitat for Humanity International and AmeriCorps on Sunday to officially launch the 2009 Build-a-Thon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The city was devastated one year ago this week, when the Cedar River crested 20 feet above flood level, submerging more than nine square miles of homes and businesses. Rebuilding has been slow but steady. This week, 500 members of AmeriCorps will begin building 20 homes with families who are struggling to rebuild their lives in the wake of that historic flooding.

Brenda Warner, who talks openly about her early struggles as a single mother, summed up the spirit of service evident throughout the opening ceremonies of Build-a-Thon 2009, staged in the gymnasium of Regis Catholic School, which Kurt Warner attended as a boy.

“Thank you for letting us be a part of what you do,” Brenda told the crowd of 500 AmeriCorps members, most of them dressed in bright, banana-colored event T-shirts. “You’re the special ones here.”

Along with the Warners, Jeff Capps, executive director of Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity, welcomed a litany of dignitaries to mark the occasion, including Mari Culver, first lady of Iowa; U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack of Iowa; and Kay Halloran, mayor of Cedar Rapids.

Prior to opening ceremonies, ESPN had transformed the Regis gym into a makeshift studio, with renowned sportswriter Rick Reilly doing an onstage interview with Warner for his show, “Homecoming.” (The episode will air July 23 on ESPN.)

Warner’s entire family and virtually every football coach from his life were on hand to share their memories of the “precocious kid” (according to his mother) who went on to become one of the greatest rags-to-riches stories in football.

With self-deprecating humor and plainspoken grace, Warner applied the lessons learned in his football career to the rebuilding that will go on all week in his hometown.

“I’ve always worked hard, and I’ve always believed in myself,” he said. “But sometimes that faith and belief in yourself isn’t enough. Sometimes you need somebody to come along and give you hope.”

Thunderous applause signaled that hope has arrived.