This town is getting ready to reap the benefit of the "Road Trip Crazies."

The Crazies are the nickname for a group of people from 14 states with roots in Lynchburg, Va. who travel for Habitat for Humanity and help build homes.

Lynchburg reaped the benefits of builders from outside of the city on Habitat projects years ago, and the Road Trip Crazies formed in response. A couple of times a year, the group travels to small affiliates to help lead blitz builds. The crazies have developed a style over the years that combines hard work, a little sweat, some bad jokes and silly gags while building at an accelerated pace.

The Crazies are a diverse group of people from all walks of life and from age 16 to 84.

In Zebulon, on the weekend of September 25-27, the Crazies are going to join forces with local volunteers to form a band of 200 who will frame four houses in three days.

Tom Gerdy, a builder from Lynchburg who founded the group 11 years ago, was in Zebulon last week, looking at the four lots in the Braemar subdivision that will soon be the site of homes for families in need.

"Happiness is when you reach out and try to leave the world a little better than you found it," said Gerdy, who answered Habitat of Wake County's new executive director Kevin Campbell's call for help here.

Gerdy knew Campbell from Campbell's days as the executive director of the Lynchburg Habitat and from his own work with the organization there.

"I've been forever grateful for that because it's been an enormous blessing," he said. Gerdy said the good feelings you get from helping on a Habitat project are infectious and when people see how much fun they have working, they join the Crazies, and build with them later. In a recent blitz, 83 people from 13 different states joined hands in a small Ohio town for Habitat projects.

Volunteers are still needed for the framing frenzy in Zebulon and the work continuing on the houses beyond September. Builders are expected to be needed through November.

To sign up, e-mail volunteer@habitatwake.org. The organization also needs house sponsors who help underwrite the cost of expenses. Already Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Home Depot are sponsors. Smithfield's, McDonald's of Zebulon, Capital Bank, Zebulon Baptist Church and Zebulon First Baptist Church are providing meals.

"There are a lot more opportunities for people if they don't want to commit to the construction side," said Habitat of Wake spokeswoman Kerry Celestini. "They can contribute in other ways."

Restaurants, companies or churches who would like to donate food, can contact Veronica Bidding at veronica.bidding@habitatwake.org. For information on becoming an event or house sponsor, contact Missy Hatley at missy.hatley@habitatwake.org.

With Habitat, homebuyers use sweat equity as a down payment, then Habitat sells them the home without charging a profit and provides the buyers with a no interest loan.

"They are good people who just need a hand up," said Gerdy.