Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who has been in the Edmonton area since Sunday actively participating in this extraordinary build, posed with each and every team helping to build more than 50 homes on site. A great day, indeed, for Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) employees including senior management, Edmonton Oilers players, Edmonton Oil Kings coaches, office staff and alumni who are part of 125 representatives taking part in the week-long project. Their pictures with the Carters will certainly be displayed in a sacred space at home, or somewhere, like a desk or credenza at the office.
PHOTO GALLERY: Habitat for Humanity Day 2
Yet, there were some images from the project that didn't require a professional photographer that so eloquently - even poignantly - demonstrate the spirit and atmosphere of the day.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Habitat for Humanity Day 1
Perhaps the feature picture, the image destined to be framed and hung somewhere with reverence and authority, is this:
The morning sky is grey but the puffed clouds comfort its backdrop. A wide cement sidewalk, somewhat covered in mud, awaits. Slowly, one by one, volunteers - in all kinds of coloured t-shirts, work pants and, of course, steel-toed boots - get their turn to walk the runway of sorts. They enter a welcoming party: two rows of people, one on each side of the sidewalk, clapping as the volunteers walk by. They, too, are decked out in colourful shirts and show their enthusiasm. But the ones with the green shirts have a little extra grip when they shake hands; a little more power when they give a high five; a little extra squeeze when they hug someone. The folks in the green shirts are homeowners, who are also working on their homes. Their lives are about to change… because of the kindness and generosity of community members.
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