It looked like the old building was being torn apart. In a way, it was.

Fifty people were removing 70 windows Friday at the Turning Point Center for Youth and Family Development in Fort Collins.

Turning Point is a nonprofit that helps at-risk youths. The goal was to replace those windows with new ones by the end of the day, all for free.

Renewal by Andersen, a Fort Collins window company, made up much of the crew.

It was a special project not just because of its size, but also its purpose.

"My son Benjamin was a good boy, a real lover," Gary Brooksmith remembered.

Gary's son, Benjamin Brooksmith, died of a drug overdose on Jan. 16. He was 23. His father believes he started using heroin to relieve pain caused by injuries sustained during BMX racing.

"We tried to get him involved in some kind of rehab, but it was so expensive," Brooksmith said.

Had Benjamin Brooksmith been a teenager when his heroin addiction began, he might have been able to turn to Turning Point.

"This is our job," Stephanie Brown, Turning Point's executive director, said. "We find these kids before something like this happens."

Gary Brooksmith and the president of Renewal by Andersen, Gary Thiret, thought the project at Turning Point would make for a fitting tribute to Benjamin and perhaps prevent a similar tragedy.

"It's so important for us to take care of one another and to watch out for one another," Brooksmith said.

Donations made in memory of Benjamin Brooksmith will be matched 100 percent by Northern Colorado Active 20 30 Children's Foundation. To contribute, send checks to Turning Point, 1644 S. College Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80525. For more information or to make a donation online, visit www.turningpnt.org.