Extreme Makeover Rallies its Grand Strand Troops
By Lauren Poster
Yesterday marked the kickoff to “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s” second visit to the Grand Strand. Show staff and legendary producer Conrad Ricketts attended a pep rally held at Coastal Carolina University’s Wall Auditorium to galvanize volunteers and discuss what led up to their decision to revisit, plus introduce those unfamiliar with the project to the show’s format and goals. The jam-packed auditorium also got to meet representatives Clinch Heyward and Harry Dill of South Carolina’s Sterling Homes, the local builder chosen to lead construction at the new site.
When analyzing why the nationally acclaimed show would return to Horry County, the immediate thought that might surface is that we are a community of great need. Instead, according to Heyward, it means just the opposite. Horry County is a community that is rich in those willing to help, even in a difficult economy. He also takes it as a compliment to the local government, which ensured the work went smoothly the last time. Heyward noted that when Sterling Homes was presented with a third opportunity to work with the show (they cooperated in a previous build in Loris and another in New Orleans) they almost said they couldn’t do it. But, as he explains, “in a situation where you think you should say no, maybe that’s why you should say yes.”
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In fact, the show relies heavily on volunteers – thousands of them. Extreme Makeover coordinates the build and provides designers and team leaders, but does not supply any of the materials necessary to make the build a reality. The Locations Department of the show spends up to a month in a community beforehand securing permits, talking to neighbors of the family selected and laying the groundwork for getting volunteers involved. In almost all cases donations are needed right up to the very end of a project. Incentives for businesses who want to contribute include being featured on ABC’s Web site (www.abc.com), with contact information, as a form of advertisement. The show needs “subs and trades” (subcontractors and skilled tradesmen) willing to work around the clock to achieve the lofty goal of completing a home within seven days. Anyone and everyone, however, is encouraged to lend a hand.
Ricketts likens the show’s concept to the “barn raisings of the early 1900’s.” It’s about community and cooperation towards a common goal. In all the previous 177 builds, never once have they failed to complete a project on schedule.
To those who believe the crew is only there to put on a show, let it be said that despite the number of times these people must have given such a presentation, several members of the show’s crew become choked up when talking about past projects. They appear truly grateful to be able to help the people they so carefully select as worthy to receive the gift of a new home. The presentation included several montages of families in desperate need, showing Extreme Makeover’s focus on people with disabilities who somehow find ways to give back to their community. And while Ricketts jokes that at “about 60 degrees, it’s in the contract that [Ty Pennington] must take his shirt off,” he also remarks on how hard the famously energetic host works, busily flying from location to location over 260 days out of the year.
What started as just another “makeover” show has grown into a source of inspiration since its inception in 2003. When asked to pitch an idea to ABC for a series in line with the string of home remodeling shows that were rising in popularity, the construction-ignorant Ricketts suggested “seven designers in seven days,” oblivious to the fact that it takes months to build a quality home. And yet somehow they have made it happen. Ricketts maintains that their work is a tribute to what the American spirit is all about. “You do not need us,” he repeated again and again, meaning that we are all capable of doing this without cameras or an audience. Once you have experienced it, he says, you will simply want to do it. “You are changing somebody’s life forever.”
Building will get underway next Monday, January 11, when Ty Pennington will do his famous bull horn wake-up call to rouse the family selected. Work will continue uninterrupted for 24 hours a day until the project’s completion seven days later. Until then, those interested in volunteering or contributing can visit www.extremehorry.com to read up on all things related to the project and discover ways to get involved. Anyone who wants to work on the house itself must sign a publicity waiver and adhere to the show’s strict safety regulations. In addition to the build, Sterling Homes and the local United Way have partnered to promote a large food drive, lest we forget that there is more than one local family currently in need. They have set a goal at 100 tons of food. A list of donation sites is also available on the Web site.
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