Tampa Bay Suns FC helps build beds for local children

The sounds of saws and hammers echoed across the Tampa Bay Suns practice field in Ybor City on Sunday.

Players traded cleats for power tools to work alongside volunteers as they assembled dozens of beds that will go to children across the Bay Area in need of their own space to sleep at night. 

Tampa Bay Suns players helped assemble dozens of beds that will go to children across the Bay Area.

"It's really hard sometimes when you think about things that, for us, we take for granted, or we just think it's a natural expectation to be able to sleep in the bed every single night," said Christina Unkel, President and General Manager of Tampa Bay Suns FC. "It just really kind of puts it all back into perspective that there's a huge need, we can help fill that void, and we can use our platform to do so."

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The event marks the first collaboration between the professional women's soccer club, Ashley Furniture, The Hope to Dream Foundation and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The SHP non-profit was founded by Luke Mickelson in Twin Falls, Idaho back in December 2012, after he built a new bed for a six-year-old homeless girl from his church.

"What was the most shocking was in the corner of her room was this pile of clothes, this little nest, and that's what little Haley slept on," Mickelson told FOX 13. "It just wrecked me. I said at that point: no kid is going to sleep on the floor in my town if I have anything to do with it."

Mickelson has stuck to his word thanks to the help of special partnerships and a LOT of volunteers. Together, they've now built and delivered more than 250,000 beds to children in need across the nation. 

Tampa Bay Suns players helped assemble dozens of beds that will go to children across the Bay Area.

"At these types of events we take non-experienced volunteers, and we put drills and sanders in their hands," Mickelson laughed. "We literally take raw lumber that we get from Lowe's or other organizations, and we run them through a train of tools. At the end of day, there'll be 30 beds and we're really blessed to have a partner in Hope to Dream that supports and supplies mattresses to us."

Today, SHP has grown to 350 chapters, including one making a huge difference here in Tampa. 

"The Tampa chapter has built over 4,000 beds for children here," Mickelson stressed.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez.

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