Vanilla Ice returning to Brevard for Johnson family

'90s superstar will be in Palm Bay on Friday

PALM BAY, Fla. – Vanilla Ice caused quite the fan craze when he turned up in February in Palm Bay to break ground on a specialized pool for 6-year-old Owen Johnson and his family. Now that the pool is up and running, he'll be back in Brevard for its big reveal.

Local 6 News partner Florida Today says it will all be documented for his home-improvement show "The Vanilla Ice Project," which airs on the DIY Network. On Feb. 23, Vanilla tweeted: "Tomorrow I will be in Palm Bay, with The Johnson family, building an awesome pool for Owen. he's a big ninja turtle fan just like me"

The Johnson family episode will be televised at a later date. Coincidentally, Owen's birthday is on Sunday.

The $50,000, specialized, soft-water pool was donated to the Johnson family to help Owen therapeutically, thanks to a donation by the Deerfield Beach-based Van Kirk & Sons.

The 47-year-old, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, rose to fame with the 1990 hit song "Ice Ice Baby." He appeared in the live-action '91 flick, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze."

Owen was left paralyzed from the neck down after a deadly July 1, 2011, collision in Blue Ridge, Ga., that claimed the life of his 6-year-old sister, Hannah Johnson, and badly injured his two other sisters, Brooke and Kathryn.

Friends, family and Owen's therapists from Ability Plus Therapy in Melbourne posed for selfies with the superstar rapper when last he visited. Palm Bay Mayor William Capote challenged Van Winkle to a friendly "dance-off." He, too, will be at the Johnson home on Friday.

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Season 5 of "The Vanilla Ice Project" premiered April 5. The show airs at 10 p.m. Saturdays.

Visit diynetwork.com/shows/the-vanilla-ice-project. Send a Tweet to @vanillaice

On Saturday, Vanilla Ice will host the grand opening of McFadden's Restaurant and Lounge, 8291 International Drive, Orlando. Call 407-390-2550 or visit mcfaddensorlando.com.


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