Wings for my Dream...

If you have followed my blog for any length of time or know me personally, you know how much historic preservation means to me.  It means a lot.  My husband and I were caught up in a battle a few years ago when the historic school house across the street from our home was torn down to make way for condominiums. It was a heart breaking experience, as we felt hopeless and nothing that we did made a difference!  The elected officials in the city had already made up their minds to have the structure destroyed. I will never forget standing in the street in front of the school the day they drove the bulldozer through the front doors. I cried. I cried not only for this beautiful old building, but for all that it had meant to the children who had once learned inside its walls...and for all the people who would never get to see it and for what it once stood. 

Before that sad day when we finally realized that the building would not be repurposed or restored as we had hoped, we quickly went about trying to have some of the beautiful architectural details inside the building saved:  the antique stairwell, the windows, the doorknobs and light fixtures.  The person in charge of the project would not allow us to go in and remove these items. When I asked to remove the old front doors right before the bulldozer drove through them, I was laughed at by the men from the demolition company and the by the developer.

The building is now gone, and what remains in its place is an empty dirt hole.  The developer never finished the project, and the city has seen nothing but heartache over this project. I vowed a few weeks after this happened that I would never be defeated so easily again.  With this said, I know that I will not be able to save every historic structure, but I certainly can try!  And if the structures cannot be saved, at least I want to try to salvage the beautiful architectural details that once made them so special.

I have long dreamed of opening a business that focused on architectural salvage, whether it be repurposed or sold to interior designers, architects or builders to use in other restoration projects.  But with a need to pay bills and support my family, I have never been able to pursue that dream due to financial commitments that cannot be postponed.  Start-up for a company of that type would take a bit of time and money.

Enter DOCKERS.  They have announced a contest called "Wear the Pants Project."  People like me who LOOOONG to pursue their dreams of doing something important and fulfilling can enter for a chance to win $100,000 to get their project started.  CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!  How wonderful!  Of course, I had to enter!  I've long had my business plan constructed and just lacked the financial means to follow it.  Dockers is giving one lucky person the chance to do just that! 

So, I'm looking for votes!  I NEED votes!  I would so much appreciate it if those who frequent my blog (and even those who just stop by on occasion) would PLEEEEEASE visit the link below and vote for my plan!  Please give wings to my dream.....I WANT TO FLY!

 CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR PAULA'S

"WEAR THE PANTS" PROJECT ON FACEBOOK!

Thanks to all for your much-needed and appreciated support!