Cancer can destroy. Cancer can unite. In some instances, it can do both.
Take Justin Jennings, for instance. One day, he was a happy-go-lucky kid with dreams of graduating Penn State University with a degree in psychology, intent on helping families. The next, he was fighting the battle against brain cancer — a struggle he would ultimately fall victim to on June 25, 2000, at the age of 19.
What’s a family to do after suffering such an emotional and devastating loss?
There is no rule book for dealing with such an event. Some spiral and divide from one another; others insulate themselves from the outside world. Justin’s family? Well, they did something else entirely.
With his mother, Mary Ellen Nantais, at the helm, the family started the Justin W. Jennings Foundation (JWJF). The foundation wanted to raise money in Justin’s name, and they had given those funds to the Ronald McDonald House and local food banks. In the back of Nantais’ mind, she wanted to build a beach house for families dealing with the ravages of cancer.
“It was important to us that this would not just be a house for children with cancer, but for whole families,” said Craig Nantais, Mary Ellen’s husband. “It takes a family to deal with this, and the whole experience is hard for the entire family.”
The family went forth with the plan, but the going was tough. Then, Mary Ellen ran into local builder Mike Cummings, whom she had met some 20 years earlier when she was working in Wilmington and Cummings was doing construction work in that area. A little while later, Mary Ellen and Craig met Mark Hardt and Frank Miranda, two other local builders.
The significance of these meetings? Cummings, Hardt and Miranda all serve on the board of Contractors for a Cause — a local group of builders who do fundraising to give back to the community.
The contractors had been raising money for the American Diabetes Association for years, holding an annual fall golf tournament. Last year, they decided to change their focus and concentrate on the JWJF, and start work on Justin’s Beach House.
“We’ve always raised money for diabetes, and that was a great cause,” said Cummings. “But all of us felt like this was something more tangible … something we could really see the results of our labor with if we went all-out on the project.”
Make no mistake. They’ve gone all out on the project.
Contractors for a Cause and the JWJF held their first annual black tie gala event last spring, and it was a huge success. The group’s annual golf tournament changed its financial recipient to the Justin W. Jennings Foundation.
“We’ve made great strides,” said Cummings. “We recently got a piece of property for Justin’s Beach House, and it looks like we’re heading in the right direction of making this a reality.”
That piece of property is located in Bethany Beach, across from St. Ann’s Catholic Church, according to Cummings.
“Partnering with Contractors for a Cause has been the biggest help to our foundation,” said Mary Ellen Nantais. “We’d have never been able to get this far without them. I just can’t say enough about them … or this entire community.”
There is, however, still much to be done in making Justin’s Beach House a reality. For one thing, more money is needed. To that end, the group is preparing for this year’s spring gala, to be held at Cripple Creek Golf and Country Club on June 3. Cummings said there are going to be incredible donated items and trips for auction, and that about 75 percent of tables for the event have already been sold.
While money is a necessary part of any charitable event, there is obviously more needed to put together something so involved — specifically, a rally for a cause.
“Every year, when we would come down to the beach, it seemed like a collective weight was taken off our shoulders as soon as we went over the (Indian River Inlet) bridge,” said Mary Ellen Nantais. “We just want to give families that same feeling by coming to the beach house. All our trips here meant so much to all of us, and Justin just loved it here.”
It has not just been the Contractors for a Cause that have helped with efforts. Karen Pomije, owner of Beach Cottage in Ocean View, has also started Dame’s Night Out, where women come together at her shop one night a month and listen to different guest speakers. The $7 donation per person goes to the foundation. Others have called the family with offers to wallpaper the house or prepare meals for the families that come down to stay there once it’s completed.
“I just can’t believe how this community has rallied for this,” said Craig Nantais. “What a great place this is — there really isn’t the class differences with people here that you see in other places. And it’s not that this is a small community. It’s not the size of this area at all, it’s the people. Everyone looks out for each other here.”
Cummings agreed.
“You know, when you look at our group (Contractors for a Cause), we have a group of businessmen, all with their own plans for their own businesses,” said Cummings, who hired Justin to do construction for a while at his company. “But all of the guys come together so well for this project. It’s amazing, really. I can’t imagine ever loving a place as much as I love this area. These guys really give. I always tell my kids, ‘It’s not what you get in life, it’s what you give.’ These guys really get that, and they try to give back.”
What they’re trying to give now is reality to Justin’s Beach House. Cummings estimates the house will be between 3,500 and 4,000 square feet, and have about six bedrooms. He’s hoping to be able to present a rendition of the home during the fall golf tournament. After that, and the ultimate construction of the house, the foundation will accept applications from families to come spend one-week blocks at the beach during the summer.
Then, the dream will be realized, and the Nantais family will feel some true satisfaction.
“I’ve always been told that everything happens for a reason,” said Mary Ellen Nantais. “If us building this beach house is the reason (for Justin’s passing), so be it. We’re going to build a beautiful house for these families.”
To buy a table at the gala, or for more information about donating to the cause, call Mary Ellen Nantais at (302) 537-4213.