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thedrifter
02-17-09, 06:47 AM
CEOs learn the meaning of sweat equity
Hard working bosses give their time to Habitat for Humanity
The Orange County Register
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Ever want to see your boss sweating over a hammer and nails? Twelve CEOs did just that to help out Habitat for Humanity.

With the help of 18 Marines, Orange County captains of industry swung hammers, sawed lumber and even threw hatchets Friday in San Juan Capistrano. And that was the fun part. They were there both to compete and to construct houses for disabled veterans and other low-income families.

Physical labor is a nice change of pace, according to Roland Chi, head of Garden Grove commercial realty firm Banyan Tree Enterprises.

"It's not like being behind a computer all day," Chi said. "At the end of the day, the work is measurable."

Not only did business chiefs provide labor by installing interior doors and electrical fixtures, they also competed to see who was the better hammerer, wood cutter and hatchet tosser.

"I hit the wood, but none of them stuck," Linda Lang, chief executive of the Orange County Association of Realtors, said of her hatchet-chucking skills. "Oh well. I don't generally throw axes."

One business head found hard work so rewarding that he helped organize the event. Mark Mathews, president and chief operating officer of Toshiba in Irvine, said he volunteered for Habitat for Humanity two years ago.

"I started to swing a hammer on the weekends just to let stress out," Mathews said. From that experience, he became more involved in the Habitat program.

Along with their hard work, each CEO gave $1,000 to the project, which seeks to build 27 houses for qualifying families.

Brett Mansfield of the Orange County Habitat board said the day's activities were planned to network, raise funds and give business leaders a chance to show fellowship. The entire project, though, has the larger purpose of putting people in homes in south Orange County, a region notoriously lacking in affordable homes.

"We're trying to do our part," Mansfield said. "People get to buy their homes (from Habitat), so they have ownership pride."

Mansfield said he hopes the homes will provide a stable foundation for lower-income families to attempt big life goals like higher education.

Marine Sgt. Ciara Mayes spent the day installing interior doors. She said she was especially proud that her work would bring shelter to fellow servicemen and women.

"It feels good," Mayes said. "From boot camp through your career, you hear you're a family. This shows everybody (in uniform) cares."

Contact the writer: pschelden@ocregister.com or 949-492-5128

Ellie