Pair Building B&B for Wounded Soldiers

CANTON, Mich. - They suffered a great loss when their son was killed in Iraq in 2003. Now, these Canton parents are looking to turn tragedy into a very generous offering for those who have been hurt in war.

"We went out to dinner and he asked me, he said, 'Look, this is going to be nasty, and if I don't make it back, take care of my dog and take care of my guys,'" said Terry Blumberg.

A final conversation with their son has transformed into a labor of love for Terry and Janet Blumberg, who are working to build a bed and breakfast in honor of their son, Sergeant Trevor Blumberg.

In 2003, he was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Blum's Landing, as they call it, is located 300 miles up north near Rogers City and Lake Huron. It will serve as a free retreat for men and women of the military who have suffered physical or mental wounds and their families.

"We're humbled by it. We've worked through some of the grief. I sure have a hole in my heart, but it's mending because we have beautiful people that we've met and we've been a part of," said Janet Blumberg.

"We did a lot of (meditating) and praying in deciding how to do what we had to do, and this is the idea we came up with," Terry Blumberg said. "Then we started the journey that I did not believe would be this long."

Most of their own money and some donations have helped to build the main lodge, but the Canton couple needs additional funds to complete two handicap accessible cabins to accommodate the wounded troops.

They're hoping to win $250,000 in a Pepsi sponsored, online competition. With each additional vote from the public they get, they are one step closer to finishing Blum's Landing.

"It's probably going to cost every bit of the quarter of a million dollars to finish the two cabins for wheelchair people," said Terry Blumberg. "I made a promise, that simple, and I'm going to keep it."

The Blumbergs promised to take care of their son's dog, Scrappy, but they need your help to take care of his guys, his fellow soldiers, who they hope will enjoy up north just like their son Trevor used to before he died serving his country.

"We're going to feed them breakfast every morning and turn them lose on Northern Michigan and let them just be somewhere that's relaxing," Terry Blumberg said.

"We still have a big life ahead and a lot of breakfasts to cook and a lot of kids to hug and say you're special to us," Janet Blumberg said.

If you would like to help the Blumbergs fulfill their dream and complete the cabins at Blum's Landing in their son's honor, visit www.blumslanding.org for more information about the contest.