Rob Van Winkle, better known as rapper Vanilla Ice, is helping a special needs teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For several years, Van Winkle has been involved in the construction business, renovating and remodeling homes with his company VIP Construction.
He heard about Lana Watson, a special needs teacher in Port Saint Lucie who needed repairs done to her home.
The ceiling in the porch area was falling apart and the side of the house had wood pieces falling off.
"Whatever the texture was put up there kept crumbling down. So I would have to sweep it up," she said. "The siding on the house was rotting off and buckling everything."
This week Van Winkle and his construction crew did the repairs for free.
"Rob gave me a call and he goes 'I've got your estimate for you,' and I said OK," Watson said. "And he said 'nothing.'"
Van Winkle said with all of the different repairs that were needed, it could have cost her up to $10,000.
Van Winkle said he wanted to do it because she does so much as a special needs teacher, "You can't live in a house that is falling apart and her house was falling apart. We got a hold of it now."
The homeowner didn't realize until Rob arrived, that it was Rob Van Winkle, known as rapper Vanilla Ice.
He's been renovating homes for years. He said Lana's ceiling was a mess, "This stuff flakes like it's snow coming down you could see it all over the floor. It's stucco with paint mixture."
The celebrity and master carpenter Don Borowski did the repairs.
Lana, who is a lung cancer survivor, said this week it's her birthday. "I am ridiculously grateful," she said. "This whole thing has just been such a gift and he's so genuine and generous."
Van Winkle said, "She sprinkles a lot of magic over the community and these children and their lives and these parents. Really makes a difference in their lives. I figured she does all of that magic, that we would sprinkle a little bit of fairy dust and magic around the house here for her. I'm honored to be here and do this for her."
