The Arizona Rock Products Association (ARPA) and the Arizona Chapter of Associated General Contractors (AGC) donated materials, equipment and labor to help replace dirt and gravel roads at Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa.

The two groups covered the cost of $425,000 in emergency road improvements required by the City of Mesa. Sunshine Acres could not continue with its plans to build a new girls dormitory or accept children without the improvements, according to AGC spokeswoman Carol Floco.

The project began when Jeff Whiteman, an ARPA member and a long-time benefactor of the home, was leading an effort to build a new girls dorm. Mr. Whiteman was determined not to let road improvement mandates stop the construction of the dorm, Ms. Floco said. He brought the project to the attention of the AGC philanthropy subcommittee and the boards of both the AGC and the ARPA, who decided to take on the project.

The contractor of record for the project was Tom Royden of Royden Construction Company. Project manager was Michael Markham Jr. of Markham Contracting Company, Inc. Most of the earth moving was done by crews from Graef Construction, Inc., who spent three weeks on the job. More then 36 firms from around the Valley aided the project.

The roads were dedicated during a Dec. 13 ceremony that included Sunshine Acres Director Carol Whitworth, and members of the rock products and contractors groups. Sunshine Acres is a campus that houses 65 to 70 children who need homes. It opened in 1954 with one house in Mesa and now its campus has seven houses. Its Web site is www.sunshineacres.org.

The Arizona Chapter of Associated General Contractors is a nonprofit association of general contractors, subcontractors and construction industry firms. The Arizona Rock Products Association represents 55 companies in the asphalt, Portland cement and lime products businesses. —