Our fundraiser for the 1984 Corvette has started.

Here it is folks. Our fundraiser for the 1984 Corvette (1st place) and a Dell Laptop (2nd place) has started. 100 tickets available @ $128.21 each. This means, each ticket has a 1 in 100 chance to win a Corvette or a Dell Laptop. Proceeds will be going towards our continued costs as my unemployment Tier 3 benefits is ending in 2 weeks. 

Our fundraising ticket website at www.crowdtilt.com

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Please help us... help ourselves. You could win our 1984 Chevy Corvette (it is red and has 68,500 miles). All you have to do is contribute $128.21 per ticket & you'll have at least 1 chance out of 100 to win either the 1st prize (a beautiful "Red" 1984 Chevy Corvette) or the 2nd prize (a Dell Laptop configured just for you). Once you commit to the purchase of a ticket, your charge card will not be charged until we reach our goal of $12,500.00.

Our story:

• My wife's name is Penny Andersen. She has been disabled for years as she is a gunshot victim (she was at the wrong place at the wrong time) and she has permanent limitations regarding her left arm. She almost died from sepsis 18 months ago (after the removal of a Stage 1 High Grade cancer tumor). She has undergone 7 cystoscopies (5 of them involved cancer tumor removal), BCG treatment, and Chemotherapy. In the interim, we have incurred over $100,000.00 in medical costs. Her latest cystoscopy on 09/06/13 showed that she was finally in remission (and that her bladder did not need to be removed. We have been paying for her "Cobra" for over a year and a fundraiser last March (that raised $20,000.00) helped us pay down that debt plus paid for her "Cobra" payment and allowed us to stay in our home.

• My name is Steinar Andersen & I am an 50 year old unemployed Veteran. I've been unemployed for over a year now (and my unemployment Tier 3 federal benefits end in 2 weeks). I am presently receiving VA healthcare (I was just approved almost a year after I applied) and I am also waiting for a determination of a service related disability rating (as I have multiple medical problems) plus I am waiting for a Social Security Disability decision. I have been working since I was 14 years old and this is the first time I have been unemployed for over a month in my life.

• Our son's name is Travis Zurawski.He was born premature and spent his first 3 months of life in a neonatal unit (due to multiple problems including collapsed lungs, eye, ear, and developmental issues). He was given no chances to have a normal life and since then, we all have worked hard to help him become a young man capable of contributing and interacting with.... society. Despite his deficits (partial CP, Autistic Traits, and 59 IQ), he finished High School via the Sedom program. He presently has a girlfriend and works Part Timefor the Huntley Walmart (where he does janitorial services and cart service). We are presently waiting for a Social Security Disability decision on him.

Once all 100 tickets are purchased, our pastor (Pastor Adam Miller) at Fox Valley Church "Pingree Grove, Illinois" will pick the winner from a jar (which will be filled with the ticket holder's names). There will be one winner for the 1984 Corvette, one winner for the Dell laptop, and two winners for a Chicago Bears / Chicago Blackhawks (or a team of the winner's choice) Candy Jar personally crafted by my wife, Penny.

How did we get a Corvette and why did we get it? Steinar has been using a Chrysler Sebring as his daily driver for 16 months. As it had 185,000 miles (and was on its second engine), it became expendable as Steinar had picked up a 1997 Ford Handicap Van over 2 months ago for the purpose of being able to drive a vehicle given his recent joint/rheumatologic problems (he could no longer drive the Sebring when having a major gout attack). So he started bartering in order to get a vehicle that they could do a fundraiser with. He traded the Sebring for a 2006 Chevy Uplander and then traded a month later for the 1984 Corvette.

We are doing this fundraiser as Steinar's unemployment benefits are running out in 2 weeks (100 tickets will equal $12,500.00 after the 2.5% fee crowdtilt.com charges), and these funds will allow the Andersen family to remain in their home and pay for Penny's medical premium / medication / cystoscopies for the next 6 months (until the disability decisions are made by the VA and the Social Security Administration).

We are grateful to all who participated in our previous fundraiser (that helped us make it this far)  and to whom participate in this fundraiser. =)

For more information on who we are and on our life's journey, please go to our blog @ http://alifesquest.blogspot.com

God Bless,

Steinar and Penny Andersen

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I will drive / drop off the Corvette or the Dell Laptop  to any Local contributors (within 100 miles) who is the announced winner. Any winner beyond 100 miles will need to make transport arrangements to receive the Corvette or fly/drive to Chicago to pick up the Corvette at our home. Any non local winner of the Dell Laptop will receive it via USPS insured mail. Winner is responsible for the taxes / registration / title transfer regarding the Corvette. 

New siding (in one day). The continued power of immigrant labor.

Our house in 2006:

Our house as of last night:

The Eco-shield siding crew arrived on Friday around 7:00 am to start the work (with the materials dropped off at 6:30 am onto our lawn). Again, only one person out of the seven spoke English (alas).   =( 

So, I again stood off to the side to watch the process (and I stayed outside all day to make sure all aspects were done and nothing was skimped on... especially concentrating on making sure I was also seen by the crew that I was taking pictures of the process). Most important to me was that the wood on the siding was in good shape (it was, no small feat as the siding is 110 years old) and that the Dow underlayment was installed correctly along with the PlyDry housewrap vapor barrier to ensure no leaks around the house (and no open exposed areas like there was before the siding replacement today).

Below are the pictures from start to finish (and as of tonight, we officially have new 30 to 50 year siding).  =)  Over $16,000.00 in repairs (and again, still pretty wild considering we are on our last few dollars in the bank).

What a great country we live in.  =)

Now we just need to sell the Corvette in order to survive the next 4 months.