Fayetteville family to get Extreme Makeover

Friday, July 08, 2011

Fayetteville family chosen for 'Extreme Home Makeover'

Tags:

cumberland county, extreme makeover, local/state

FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- The anticipation is building in Fayetteville as the hit ABC TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition gets closer to naming the Fayetteville family that will get a new home in the next few weeks.

Show producers held a pep rally in Fayetteville Thursday evening for the army of volunteers who will build the home.

Fayetteville's mayor gave the Extreme Makeover team an All-America welcome.

"They've been doing this for nine years, and it's about time they decided to come to Fayetteville," said Mayor Tony Chavonne.

Business and civic leaders and volunteers from across the region are donating supplies, money, and their time for the project. Residents like Natalie and Justin Peck came to see what all the excitement is about.

"We love the show. We watch it all the time on TV - just think it's amazing what they do. It's nice for them to see our town," said Natalie.

The as yet unidentified Fayetteville family will get a brand new log cabin home built from the ground up in just one week. The family will soon get a surprise knock on the door from show host Ty Pennington.

"It's going to be a challenge, but we are optimistic we are going to get it done," explained Chip Smith with Blue Ridge Log Homes.

In 2007, the Extreme Makeover team moved into Raleigh, building a brand new home for the Riggins family. Then as now, the show's producer says it's a community project that's not just about building homes. It's about heroes, deserving families, and those who help.

"And here we are in the home of many, many heroes out there fighting for our freedom so we can do what we do. We are honored," said Senior Producer Milian Vasic.

And for the army of volunteers, it's an honor shared

"It's going to make me feel great knowing I can do something to help somebody," said volunteer Andre' Weathers.

"We do stuff with our church outreach programs, and this is another opportunity to reach out to the community," explained volunteer Joe Strothmayer.

To learn more about the Fayetteville project, head over to the Extreme Makeover Home Edition website.