If many hands make light work, 280 hands can perform minor miracles, which is what happened Wednesday morning when 140 volunteers restored lost splendor to a St. Thomas landmark on Fireburn Hill.
With more than 175 gallons of paint in slightly more than three hours, Unity Lodge was transformed into what could be a cover from Architectural Digest magazine by a group of high-tech computer executives and their clients.
"It's the annual who's who of the computer industry," said Kevin Murai, president of the U.S. division of Ingram Micro, which sponsored the "Vista 2001" event along with 3Com, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Lexmark.
"We've been doing this for nine or 10 years," Murai said, "but this is our first time in the Virgin Islands." For the last seven years, Murai said, the group had visited Hawaii. They decided it was time for a change, so they selected a different island in a different ocean.
And the painting was by no means all that was going on. Well-known island entertainer Tahra Richards acted as master of ceremonies for an ongoing fund-raiser, wandering through the crowd, offering music and comments as she was raising the ante from individual and corporate sponsors. At about 10:20 a.m. it was more than $20,000, and after 11 a.m. the group hit its goal: $30,000. All the money goes to Unity Lodge expenses.
Richards remembered when the community came out for a fund-raiser for her after she lost everything in a fire. "I'm happy to do it," she said, "And they're wonderful, so energetic and organized, and climbing up that difficult road to get here!"
The Vista group chartered Windstar Cruise's Wind Spirit, for the trip, which will include a down-island jaunt later in the week. They arrived in St. Thomas on Sunday for a couple days of leisure before taking on the seemingly formidable task of renovating the enormous old building.
"We want to give back to communities what has been given to us," Murai said, stating the group's mission statement, "A day of Unity and Restoration."
Shaky Acres' Unity Lodge Recovery House is a nonprofit home for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, about 15 of whom helped out with the project and were paid for their efforts. It is sponsored by United Way and other charities, but, according to Shaky Acres director, John Dowds, the home is always in need of funds.
Dowds was almost but not quite speechless in his wonder and appreciation at what was going on. "It's still hard to believe," he said.
"It all started with a phone call in December," he said, when Judi Nagelberg of Island Meetings and Incentives told him Unity Lodge had been selected for the "Vista 2001" project.
"We've been working on this since January," Dowds said. "Everybody has been doing the prep work. It's amazing; this is the first money some of these guys have earned in years. It's really been an inspiration."
The proud residents were mingling with the volunteers, keeping an eye on all the activity, and beaming like kids at a Sunday picnic. "It's better than Government House," remarked one resident. "The governor will eat his heart out."
The venerable old building is a designated historic site. It was built in 1836 as a private residence and later became the Odd Fellows Lodge. In 1983, through the efforts of the local Moravian bishop, the building was secured for $1 a year by the St. Thomas Council on Alcoholism who, aided by a community block grant, spent the next 10 years renovating the then-derelict structure. In 1995 it became Unity Lodge, after Hurricane Marilyn destroyed much of the previous work.
It was this destruction that was remedied Wednesday.
The building fairly lights up the hillside with a glimmering coat of white paint set off by forest green shutters. The interior's old Danish kitchen with brick oven has been brought back to its original luster with coats of light blue-gray paint.
And the day wasn't without its celebrities. Bending over and planting flowers in a newly regenerated bed was legendary Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers, now a successful Chicago-area businessman. He straightened up and took a breath, looking around proudly about the time a two-foot iguana scattered some of his co-workers.
"It comes with the territory," laughed one of the residents.
Emergency services were provided in the person of St. John Clinic EMT C.C. Kreglo, if need be. "You never know," said Kreglo, "it's hot."
Kreglo conceded the group was well organized, however, and well prepared with plenty of drinking water and sunscreen. "What a job they're doing," he smiled.
The volunteers wasted no time. They immediately divided up into five teams with designated tasks and corporate team T-shirts to paint outside of the main building, shutters, upper building, porch, deck, driveway entrance and retaining walls, both lower and upper courtyards, to name a few. If these are truly today's techno-giants, it's easy to see the teamwork that helped them get there.
"Wow! Look at this," one volunteer said, gesturing at the building while picking up the plastic drop cloths, "It's a palace."
As if on cue, palace music rang out. On a tiny balcony off the second story courtyard stood a lone bagpiper rendering a spirited salute to the finished project.
"That's Rogers Branson," said Dowds. "He's the former Shaky Acres board president. He flew down from South Carolina just for this."
