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Community helps Santee couple who lost their home in plane crash

Last weekend, more than a dozen local businesses donated time and money to help pull off a total yard transformation.

SANTEE, Calif. — When a plane crashed in a Santee neighborhood in October 2021, the pilot and a beloved UPS driver were killed. It also sparked a fire that destroyed two homes. 

One of those homes had just been purchased a few months earlier by newlyweds. Cody and Courtney Campbell lost everything that day and their insurance didn't cover all the costs to rebuild.

Contractor Brett Badger says he got a call from a buddy at RCP Block and Brick who heard the Campbells were struggling to finish their home. So he volunteered to help finish the job, and he wasn't alone. 

Last weekend, more than a dozen local businesses donated time and money to help pull off a total yard transformation.

“There were probably ten different contractors out here at one time and these are my competitors,” Badger said. “I don’t usually get to see them and work with them side by side so it was very nice. We all have our specialty things.”

Badger's crew built a custom fire pit. Others donated patio furniture, designed a sophisticated lighting system, and installed landscaping with native plants.

“When you walk by a native plant, you can almost hear it saying, ‘Don’t touch me. Don’t water me. Don’t fertilize me.’ And that’s the perfect plant for these type of folks,” Badger said.

Perfect because the Campbells don't have a lot of free time these days. They just had their first child a few months ago. These past 18 months have been a rollercoaster of emotions.

“These people can now sort of return to a normal life and maybe forget a little bit about that,” Badger said. “The heart heals a little bit by having this.”

So what do the Campbell's think about their new yard? They didn't want to be interviewed on camera, but do want to thank everyone who helped turn their dream into a reality. And they made sure to express their appreciation to the crews who worked so hard over the weekend. .

“I can't even describe how appreciative they were,” Brett said. “And that's when you go - wow - I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't know they would appreciate it that much. It just feels good.”

WATCH RELATED: One year anniversary of deadly plane crash in Santee neighborhood (Oct. 2022).

   

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