Florida

Rapper Vanilla Ice Pays for Repairs to Teacher's Home on Florida's Treasure Coast

The 1990s star covered the $10,000 bill for Lana Watson to get the repairs done to the roof and side walls of her Port Saint Lucie home

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One of the best known rappers of the early 1990s stepped up to help a special needs teacher on Florida’s Treasure Coast in desperate need of repairs to her home.

Robert Van Winkle, better known as Vanilla Ice, covered the $10,000 bill for Lana Watson to get the repairs done to the roof and side walls of her Port Saint Lucie home through his construction company.

"Whatever the texture was put up there kept crumbling down. So I would have to sweep it up," she told NBC affiliate WPTV-TV. "Rob gave me a call and he goes 'I've got your estimate for you,' and I said OK. He said 'nothing.'"

Van Winkle said he wanted to help out someone he says does so much in her job.

"You can't live in a house that is falling apart and her house was falling apart,” he said. “We got a hold of it now."

Van Winkle’s company used a master carpenter and other employees to do the work.

"I am ridiculously grateful," Watson, who is a lung cancer survivor and celebrated her birthday this week, said. "This whole thing has just been such a gift and he's so genuine and generous."

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