Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition
on ABC
By catherine Nailog
Over the past nine seasons, ABC’s
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
built over 200 homes for well-deserving families. Now, with its
200th episode, the series came to a close on Friday, January 13th, at
8:00 p.m. (ET). This inspirational program of rebuilding and healing has been
given the honor of
Best TV Show of the Week.
Ty Pennington and his design team of Paige Hemmis, Tracy Hutson, Michael Moloney,
and Paul Mideo traveled to Joplin, Missouri. On Sunday, May 22, 2011, a class
EF5 tornado killed over 160 people and devastated over 8,000 homes in Joplin.
Ty couldn’t just build one home for one family; he decided to build seven homes
in seven days.
With the help of donated land and builders from Forest Gate Homes and Millstone
Custom Homes, a coalition of 21 builders and 10,000 workers from across the
country, Ty and his team built homes for the Howard, the Cogdill, the Whitely,
the Nevins, the Walters, the Nguyen, and the Gonzalez-Ely families. The Howards
consisted of Kyle and Jill and their four sons. Kyle is a firefighter and one
of the first responders after the tornado went through the town. His wife,
Jill, was alone at home and had used a door that became unhinged to shield
herself and her sons from the tornado. The Cogdills consisted of Crystal and
her son, David. Crystal’s oldest son, Zachary, died during the tornado. The
Whitelys consisted of Crystal, her mom, Alita, and Crystal’s daughter Keana.
Crystal’s two older children, Shante and Trentan, had also died during the
tornado. The Nevins consisted of Kari and Justin and their four children.
After the tornado hit, Justin went out to help other victims of the tornado.
The Walters family consisted of Tom and Emily and their daughter, Chloe. Emily
is a nurse and immediately went to work to help save lives. The Nguyens
consisted of Thang, Tiffany, her daughter, Sarah, and their granddaughter,
Alex. The Gonzalez-Ely family consisted of Scott Ely and Natalie Gonzalez and
her son. The tornado made Scott and Natalie realize that they could no longer
be together without being married to one another, so they became engaged.
The seven families were to become new neighbors in their rebuilt Joplin
community. Together, the families were sent to Disney World in Orlando,
Florida. As the families were enjoying a wonderful time at Disney World, Scott
and Natalie received a gift of a Disney wedding in which Joshua, Natalie’s older
son, was present to give her away.
Generous donations continued to pour into the town of Joplin. CVS Pharmacy
donated emergency kits to residents. Drew University in Springfield, Missouri
provided a $1,000 scholarship to every Joplin area graduating senior to continue
their education. And every child of the seven families will receive a $25,000
scholarship to attend college after graduation. As the homes were built,
Cunningham Park, the site where everyone met after the tornado ravaged the town,
was also being restored into a playground and park for kids and residents to
enjoy. A pet adoption drive was held to find homes for dogs displaced during
the tornado. The Salvation Army ensured that people could receive a healthy
meal, and the clean-up of Joplin continued with the help of numerous
volunteers. Kobe Bryant led a clothing drive in which those who brought clothes
had an opportunity to play one-on-one with him. Convoy of Hope helped bring 70
truckloads of food and supplies for Joplin, and also started a $1,000,000 fund
for Joplin residents with shortfalls in the rebuilding of their homes.
The Howard Family received a home in which the dining table included the
salvaged door that protected Jill and the kids. The Nguyen Family received a
home that was designed using the principles of feng shui. The Nevins Family
received a home that reflected their passion for a green lifestyle. They also
believed in Art Feeds, a non-profit group that provided art in the elementary
schools and helped children cope with the aftermath of the tornado. Though Art
Feeds had lost their home and their van that contained supplies, CVS Pharmacy
donated a mobile art studio filled with supplies. The Walters Family received a
home that depicted a beach and skateboard lifestyle. The Cogdills and the
Whitelys were to be neighbors, and they were built lovely homes that included a
healing garden in memory of Zachary, Shante, and Trentan. As a special feature,
each family was also built a storm shelter made up of bulletproof material.
Though the tornado had devastated the town of Joplin and dampened the spirits of
those who lost loved ones,
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
brought a newfound hope for Joplin residents. They now have the foundation to
rebuild their community and most of all to help one another continue to heal.
Over the courses
of its 200 episodes, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition not only brought comfort to
families, but also enlightened audiences regarding the struggles of providing
one of life’s necessities: shelter for one’s family. Ty and his team not only
transformed the lives of the families they helped, but were humbly changed
themselves in providing such gifts. They inspired people to volunteer and to
improve their own community through clothing drives, food drives, and clean-up
efforts. They have shown that a helping hand could truly bring about positive
change. Thank you,
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Best TV Show
of the Week
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
