Extreme Makeover Home Edition Updates Page
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Hasken Construction “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Book and DVD Signing Event!
Freeport, Ill., 7 December 2009 – If you’re looking for the perfect local holiday gift (for servicemen/women, neighbors who’ve moved away, kids at school), something to surprise a volunteer who worked on the Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project, a way to recognize your employees who supported the effort, or a special item for valued customers this holiday season: this is it! The Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project was certainly an extreme event, and volunteers and fans can now take home all the memories with souvenir books and DVDs to remember it all. And this Thursday, Rick Hasken and Joey and Philip Stott will be available to autograph your selections!
The signing event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Freeport Public Library, 100 E. Douglas Street in Freeport. You may bring items already purchased for autographing and books and DVDs will also be available for purchase, as will be a selection of Hasken Construction caps and shirts, and jackets.
The 100-page book includes almost 50 stories and hundreds of photos from the build and sells for $10. The DVD, which also sells for $10, includes over an hour of behind-the-scenes video and still photography footage showing hundreds of volunteers completing the Stott family home, as well as the complete program episode without commercials and 12 minutes of bonus footage of "the sounds of the build" including thank-you speeches by Rick Hasken and Joey Stott at the volunteer recognition event that was hosted by the 4 Seasons Bowling Center.
There is almost no duplication between the book and DVD, making the two of them together the perfect set of commemorative pieces to remember this once-in-a-lifetime community event!
Books and DVDs are also available in person (cash or check only) at these locations:
· Stephenson County Convention & Visitors Bureau – 4596 Rt. 20 East, Freeport
· Journal-Standard – 27 S. State Ave., Freeport
· Lena State Bank – 915 S Logan St., Lena
Proceeds from sales support the SportsPlex, a tournament‐quality sports complex for northwest Illinois designated as a secondary initiative in the Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project.
Marrow Transplant Recipient and Her Family Receive a Helping Hand
from ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Nov. 15 episode will highlight importance of patient assistance programs
and marrow donation
MINNEAPOLIS – Be The Match FoundationSM celebrates ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s completion of a new home for leukemia-survivor Joey Stott and her family. Joey, a 34-year-old wife and mother of three from Lena, Ill., received a life-saving bone marrow transplant in 2004. The Nov. 15 episode will share Joey’s inspiring story – and will also help shed light on the financial hardships transplant patients and their families face.
While a bone marrow transplant can be a life-saving treatment for many patients, the costs take a toll on families, as the Stotts know all too well. Often there is the temporary loss of at least one income, and even with insurance, not all costs are covered.
“I didn’t think about the medical bills while in the hospital and my husband didn’t either, but there was a lot to think about when I got home,” said Joey. The Stott family is still paying off $40,000 in uninsured medical bills.
To help patients who need financial support, Be The Match Foundation raises funds to provide grants that cover costs related to their transplant and recovery. In collaboration with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the foundation is kicking off a campaign to raise $1 million in patient assistance funds so more patients and their families can focus on healing. Viewers can visit BeTheMatch.org/extreme to make a tax-deductible financial contribution.
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and the volunteers in Lena donated their time, energy and resources to help rebuild the Stott family home and give them a new life together,” said Christine Fleming, president, Be The Match Foundation. “Thousands of patients like Joey are also struggling to overcome the health and financial obstacles resulting from a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. We appreciate that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is raising awareness of this important issue and hope that the public will step forward to help patients.”
Joey’s story also illustrates the need for more potential marrow donors. Like 70 percent of patients in need of a transplant, Joey had no donor match in her family. She turned to the Be The Match RegistrySM, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), and relied on the kindness of a stranger – Tom Wilhelm of Colorado Springs, Colo. – to save her life.
During the building of the Stott family’s home, Be The Match held donor registry drives to encourage local volunteers and spectators to join the registry. Now, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition viewers can also join the Be The Match Registry online at BeTheMatch.org/join.
“We thank Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for highlighting the importance of marrow donation through Joey and Tom’s story and encouraging more people to get involved,” said Dr. Jeffrey W. Chell, CEO, NMDP. “Patients like Joey are heroes to us all, as are the donors like Tom who selflessly step up to help save someone’s life.”
About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The Emmy award winning reality program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” now in its 7th season, is by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It’s executive –produced by Anthony Dominici. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The show airs Sundays from 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
About Be The Match Foundation
Be The Match Foundation raises funds to help patients who need an unrelated marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant find a donor and receive the treatment they need. It supports the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) which operates Be The Match Registry, the largest and most diverse registry of potential marrow donors and cord blood units in the world. Be The Match Foundation works with individuals, corporations, other foundations and community groups to raise funds that support three crucial areas: growing the Be The Match Registry to increase the chances that more patients find their match; providing financial grants to patients who need help with treatment costs; and funding transplant research to help more patients live longer, healthier lives. For more information, visit BeTheMatchFoundation.org or call 1 (800) 507-5427.
Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition souvenir books and DVDs coming soon!
Freeport, Ill., 6 November 2009 – Souvenir books and DVDs of the Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition program filmed at the Stott Family home in Lena, IL will be available beginning Monday 16 November online and at a few select locations.
The book contains over 40 stories and hundreds of full-color photos. It sells for $10, not including shipping. The DVD contains over an hour of behind-the-scenes footage and still photography as well as other surprises, and also sells for $10, not including shipping. All proceeds from the sale of these items go to the SportsPlex tournament-quality athletic facility, a secondary initiative promoted through the home build project.
Please go to the Hasken Construction website at
www.haskenconstruction.com or directly to
www.m45.com/extremesportsplex/bookanddvd.html to make an online purchase via credit card on Monday 16 November. Further information, including locations where the book and DVD may be purchased in person, will be provided when the program airs (Sunday 15 November, 7:00 p.m. CST on ABC-TV).
Don’t forget that the program can be seen “on the big screen” at Classic Cinemas’ Lindo Theatre in Freeport too:
§ Sunday 15 November
§ 7:00 p.m.
§ $10/person (adult or child), cash or check only
§ Available at the Lindo Theatre box office, 115 S. Chicago in Freeport, during regular box office hours
§ Seating limited to one theatre only
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Airdate Set
ABC-TV has announced that the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode filmed in northwest Illinois will be aired at 7 p.m. CST Sunday, November 15.
Information on public screenings and other activities will be forthcoming the week of 5 October.
more click here
Pay It Forward—EXTREME!
Area youth groups help keep the spirit of the Hasken Construction
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” project strong in our communities
Freeport, Ill., 1 October 2009 – Fall is here, and with it come many jobs with which organizations and individuals may need help! From raking to painting to yard clean-up, area youth groups will be helping out wherever they’re needed as part of the Pay It Forward EXTREME! effort that began as part of the Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project that built a home for the Stott family of Lena in just 106 hours.
“The truly extreme part of this project is more than the fact that a home was built for a family in just days,” said Rick Hasken of Hasken Construction this morning. “One of the things that intrigued my wife Laurie and me about the whole project was the idea that we could help keep the spirit of giving and Midwestern generosity that we experienced on the build site going strong in our communities.”
The idea for Pay It Forward EXTREME! reflects the fact so many area youth groups wanted to work on the build site but there was a minimum age limit of 18 for on-site volunteers. Pay It Forward EXTREME! will connect area youth groups with agencies or individuals who need a helping hand. Several projects have already been identified, including painting the gym at the King Community Campus building, painting classrooms at the Amity Day Care Center, and painting, home repairs and gardening for The Freeport Beautification Association.
Social service agencies, churches, or other organizations who could use some help this fall should contact the University of Illinois Extension-Stephenson County at 815.235.4125, who will be coordinating the projects with the people, by Friday 9 October. Area youth groups (service clubs, in-service school groups, church youth groups, etc.) should also contact the Extension office by 9 October to get a spot on the project list.
Each project and the youth group completing it will be highlighted in their own press release sent to all area media, and they will be featured on the Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition website. All youth participating will also receive a Hasken Construction Pay It Forward EXTREME! t-shirt, and will enjoy a party at a special location for the screening of the program and a “behind the scenes” program.
“Through this effort, the spirit of the build for the Stott family home can be ‘paid forward’ to many more families for much longer than just a week,” said Hasken. “That’s pretty cool…and pretty EXTREME!”
Extreme Makeover Lena Reveal and Highlights
ABC-TV Show Wraps Up; Giving Continues in NW Illinois
An estimated 6,000 people showed up to welcome Stott family home
Freeport, Ill., – It wasn’t your typical vacation for the Stott family. They left home Thursday, Sept. 10 for a trip to San Francisco, courtesy of – and accompanied by – Disney Vacation Club in San Francisco. The family wouldn’t have any contact with anyone back home – no quick calls to check on how the horses were doing, no text messages to or from the kids’ friends.
But oh, it was worth it. When the Stotts came home, it was to an amazingly silent crowd of thousands, waiting for a director’s OK to erupt into cheers. Behind the fabled Extreme Makeover: Home Edition bus waited a beautiful new home for the family of 5.
“It was so quiet!” Kaila said. “I can’t believe they got so many people to be so quiet”
“It was amazing,” Joey said. “We took our blindfolds off, and it was just a sea of smiling faces and a huge wave of love.”
With a huge cheer from the crowd, the bus pulled away, revealing the Stotts’ new 3,000 square foot home. A gently curving sidewalk led up the lush green front yard to their new white house with yellow shutters and a bright yellow door.
“It is the most beautiful home …” Joey said. “When the bus first pulled away, it looked like a dollhouse. This went way beyond what Philip and I ever talked about – beyond our wildest dreams!”
Philip is excited about the home’s many green qualities. “It’s surreal. The geothermal heating and cooling and wind energy will run our heat pump and all of our appliances, which are Energy Star compliant. The craftsmanship and quality of what our community has put together is just amazing.”
More than 3,000 volunteers – both professional tradespeople and everyday people – worked together to build the house in 106 hours for ABC’s hit reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The effort was led by Rick Hasken, co-owner with his wife, Laurie, of Hasken Construction.
“There are those who say that the spirit of community is a thing of the past,” Rick Hasken said. “I’m proud to say that’s certainly not true in northwest Illinois.”
The amazing experience took just a week – from Ty Pennington knocking on the Stotts’s old door on Sept. 9 to opening the door to their new home Sept. 16. The actual building of the house took only 106 hours. The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode filmed last week will air in December 2009 or January 2010, according to ABC.
The project inspired more than the 3,000 people who literally touched it, spurring hundreds of people to donate money or goods and services to the project, donate blood, sign up to be bone marrow donors or donate a nonperishable food item for area food pantries. Organizers of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build will work to carry on that spirit of giving with community service drives and more in the upcoming weeks.
“The University of Illinois Extension, which is spearheading the Pay It Forward: EXTREME effort, has already received calls from interested groups,” said Marilyn Smit, co-founder of M45 Marketing Services, which handled marketing and public relations for the build.
“We’re looking forward to showcasing one youth organization each week until this show’s airdate,” Smit said. “Those groups will be carrying on the incredibly generous spirit of giving we’ve seen in the past week here in northwest Illinois. If your group is interested, please call the University of Illinois Extension-Stephenson County at 815.235.4125 by Friday 9 October.”
"Move That Bus!"
Freeport Illinois- On Wednesday September 16th, the Stott family returned from their Disneyland vacation wearing blindfolds.
The family was asked to be blindfolded and to stand behind the famous bus, for the unveiling of their new home. It all took place on the west side of their driveway. The new house was built on the west side of the driveway opposite the location of their former home.
The crowds of onlookers cheered wildly the famous words, "move that bus." The family looked overjoyed when they looked at the new house. It is a two story home with yellow shutters that looks as if it came to life out of the pages of a design magazine.
"We haven’t had any contact with them today," said Joey Stott’s father, Paul Guithrie who was among the onlookers today.
The family also received a new Ford Hybrid car as one of the prizes. The family can rest easier now knowing that with winter coming, they have a new home, dubbed Spring View Acres, to protect them.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Update
Volunteer and Spectator Transportation for Reveal Day
There is no set schedule for the day and no guarantee that any specific stars or other individuals will be onsite at any particular time. The family will return sometime in the afternoon for the “Move That Bus” moment.
Once on site, individuals will be directed to locations in the viewing area by television personnel. First-come, first-served may not apply in all situations in terms of your location to view the Reveal. The production staff will be in control, and they will determine who they want, and where, for their production purposes.
Buses will run as previously published:
Volunteers – 24 hours/day for volunteers
Spectators – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Volunteer buses run from behind Rafters in Lena. Volunteers who have worked any shift during the build may come to Rafters and board the volunteer bus. Volunteers must wear their blue shirts (or gray Hasken shirts, for trade leads) or have their names cleared by the check-in tent in order to board the volunteer bus. Workers reporting for their shift must check in at the volunteer check-in tent, as always.
Spectator buses run from Lincoln Mall in Freeport and Sullivans in Lena. Any other buses must have prior approval or they will be turned away at the road barricade. Call 815.232.2121, x221 if needed.
Be aware that buses may be halted for periods of time during the day as the television program is being filmed. This may result in buses not leaving from the bus stations and/or buses being delayed at road barricades until cleared.
Volunteers can continue to visit the catering tent as needed. There will be no concessions available for spectators: please come prepared with water, etc. if needed. DO NOT BRING LAWN CHAIRS.
Pay It Forward—EXTREME!
Area youth groups help keep the spirit of the Hasken Construction
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” project strong in our communities
Freeport, Ill., 15 September 2009 – “The truly extreme part of this project is more than the fact that a home was built for a family in just days,” said Rick Hasken of Hasken Construction this morning. “One of the things that intrigued Laurie and me about the whole project was the idea that we could help keep the spirit of giving and Midwestern generosity that we experienced on the build site going strong in our communities.”
The idea for Pay It Forward EXTREME! began with the fact so many area youth groups wanted to work on the build site but there was a minimum age limit of 18 for on-site volunteers. Some youth groups were able to assist in the food drive or by donating proceeds of their 50/50 fundraisers at high school football games to the project, but many were also truly interested in volunteering their labor for the sake of helping others.
Pay It Forward EXTREME! will connect area youth groups with agencies or individuals who need a helping hand. Fifteen projects will be connected with 15 groups, or about one project per week between the time the Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build is completed until the finished show airs on ABC (December 2009 or January 2010 – exact date to be confirmed later this fall).
Several projects have already been identified, including painting the gym at the King Community Campus building, painting classrooms at the Amity Day Care Center, and painting, home repairs and gardening for The Freeport Beautification Association.
These projects will be connected with an area youth group by the end of September. Social service agencies, churches, or other organizations who could use some help this fall – with anything from raking leaves to planting fall perennials to lifting and moving boxes – should contact the University of Illinois Extension-Stephenson County at 815.235.4125, who will be coordinating the projects with the people, by Friday 9 October. Area youth groups (service clubs, in-service school groups, church youth groups, etc.) should also contact the Extension office by 9 October to get a spot on the project list.
Each project and the youth group completing it will be highlighted in their own press release sent to all area media, and they will be featured on the Hasken Construction Extreme Makeover: Home Edition website. All youth participating will also receive a Hasken Construction Pay It Forward EXTREME! t-shirt, and will enjoy a party at a special location for the screening of the program when it airs.
“Through this effort, the spirit of the build for the Stott family home can be ‘paid forward’ to many more families for much longer than just a week,” said Hasken. “That’s pretty cool…and pretty EXTREME!”
September 15, 2009
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Daily Update
Following is an anticipated schedule for tomorrow’s build at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building site in Lena, Illinois:
· The crew and volunteers will be moving furniture into the house in the afternoon and into (and possibly through) the evening.
· Volunteers will finish work on the outbuildings.
· The team and crew, along with special guest celebrity David Duchovny, will be working on an organic garden for the Stotts.
Important Facts:
- A total of 83 units of blood were donated at three American Red Cross blood drives held Friday at the Freeport chapter office and Saturday and Sunday at the build site.
- More than 140 people signed up to be bone marrow donors at weekend drives organized by Be The Match, the national bone marrow donor organization. The typical registration drive recruits 30 – 50 people; 100 people signed up to be donors at Lena Fall Fest on Saturday.
- The winners of a VIP tour of the Stotts’ home will tour the home on Thursday, Sept. 17
- Celebrity guest David Duchovny is helping the crew with the Stotts’ organic garden. Duchovny lives an eco-friendly, “green” lifestyle and was excited to be part of creating and promoting edible landscaping for the Stotts.
- The schedule for Reveal Day is being finalized; we’ll have updates on Tuesday.
September 14, 2009
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Daily Update
Following is an anticipated schedule for tomorrow’s build at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building site in Lena, Illinois:
· The project remains slightly ahead of schedule
· Landscaping will continue
· Interior and exterior painting
· Flooring will be installed
· The crew will begin accessorizing the house
Build Facts:
· Sunday was a great spectator day – an estimated 300 spectators were on hand at any given time to watch the volunteers.
Important Facts:
· We do not have a schedule for Reveal Day on Wednesday.
· Monday is the last day to buy chances to tour the completed home. $5 buys one chance; $20 buys 5 chances. All proceeds go to SportsPlex. Chances are on sale at the banks listed in the “donate” section of extremehaskenconstruction.com – sales will end at those banks at the close of the business day Monday. Chance sales will end at 8 p.m. at the build site.
· The tour for the winners of the SportsPlex contest may be moved from Wednesday to Thursday.
· The special celebrity guest for this show is David Duchovny. We do not have a schedule for his activity.
· There will be a Rock River Valley Blood Center blood drive from 2:30 – 6:30 p.m Monday at the Lena Living Center, 1010 S. Logan Street, Lena
· The food drive continues: Donations can be brought to the volunteer or spectator bus check-ins, as well as to Sullivan’s in Lena, Freeport and Stockton and Cub Foods, Sav-a-Lot and Wal-Mart in Freeport.
· In the spirit of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, we are organizing a series of “pay it forward” projects for high-school age youth groups that were not able to help with the build. If your group is interested, please e-mail your contact information to info@m45.com. We will have more details on this project Monday.
American Red Cross Extreme Makeover Home Edition Blood Drive Sept. 12 & 13 info Click Here
Be The Match Bone Marrow Donor info Click Here
September 13, 2009
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Daily Update
Following is an anticipated schedule for tomorrow’s build at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building site in Lena, Illinois:
- The build is slightly ahead of schedule, thanks to great weather and even greater volunteers!
- Tomorrow’s primary work will be installing drywall in the house.
- They will be grading the site and beginning landscaping work.
- Painting of the outbuildings continues.
Important Facts:
· A bone marrow donor registration drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the build site.
· Beginning today, a bus will be available to take spectators to and from the site from Sullivan’s Foods, 201 Dodd’s Drive in Lena.
· There will be a Red Cross blood drive today from noon to 5 p.m. on the Red Cross blood donation bus near the build site.
· Download an order form for special caps, t-shirts, polo shirts and windbreakers embroidered with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Hasken Construction logos at www.extremehaskenconstruction.com in the “visit” section. Proceeds go to the SportsPlex athletic facility in Freeport, another community project supported by the Hasken family.
· The food drive continues – we’re aiming to get 6 tons! Bring a non-perishable item to the spectator or volunteer bus check-in.
C
September 12, 2009
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Daily Update
Following is an anticipated schedule for tomorrow’s build at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building site in Lena, Illinois:
· Overnight, the crew will be working on the home’s mechanicals
· After the mechanicals are in place, the crew will work on insulating the house
· Work on the roof will continue all day
· After insulation is in place, the crew will install drywall
· Late Saturday and into Sunday, the crew will begin painting
Some Important Facts:
· Designer Paige Hemmis will be supporting and appearing at the “Be the Match” bone marrow donor drive at the Lena Fall Festival beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday in Lena
· Beginning Sunday, a bus will be available to take spectators to and from the site from Sullivan’s Foods, 201 Dodd’s Drive in Lena
· There will be a Red Cross blood drive Saturday, September 12, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the Red Cross blood donation bus near the build site and Sunday, September 13, from noon to 5 p.m. on the Red Cross blood donation bus near the build site
Foresight Financial Group Inc Banks
Sponsor
Extreme Home Makeover Home Edition VIP tent
September 10, 2009
The banks of Foresight Financial Group, Inc., Lena State Bank, State Bank, Freeport, German American State Bank, State Bank of Davis, and Northwest Bank of Rockford have teamed up to host the VIP tent at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building site on Monday September 14th just west of Lena.
The recipients of the new home, the Stott family, are strong believers in giving back to the community and helping others and so are the community banks of the Foresight Financial Group.
The VIP tent is a special viewing area close to the construction. Representatives of the banks will be staffing the tent the entire day, welcoming other donors and contractors with snacks and refreshments. The bank will also be conducting a mini-fundraiser during the day with the proceeds going to the Stott family.
In addition to accepting donations at all locations for the project, they are assisting in taking donations for winning an opportunity to view the home prior to the “Big Reveal”, when the Stott family views the new home for the first time. Tickets are available at all of the Foresight Financial Group bank locations at $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. The proceeds will be donated towards the SportsPlex athletic facility in Freeport which is a designated charity of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition builder, Hasken Construction of Freeport.
The banks are also participating in a food drive, contributing to the goal of collecting 6 tons of food in 6 days in conjunction with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Area pantries that will share in the collected bounty include the Freeport Area Church Cooperative, the United Churches of Galena Food Pantry, Stockton Community Food Pantry, the Lena Food Pantry, the Pearl City Outreach Food Pantry, and the German Valley Food Pantry. Non perishable items can be dropped off at any of the bank locations during normal business hours.
Foresight Financial Group Inc. has banking locations in eleven communities including Lena, Freeport, German Valley, Davis, Pecatonica, Seward, Winnebago, Rockford, Machesney Park and Loves Park Illinois. The banks are operated independently; building communities through community banking.
For further information contact:
Brian Borger
Vice President
German American State Bank
815-335-1900
Brianb.gasb@ffgbank.net
September 11, 2009
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Daily Update
TODAY ONLY: NO SPECTATORS BEFORE 2 P.M.
Following is an anticipated schedule for tomorrow’s build at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building site in Lena, Illinois:
The builder and team will take part in the Braveheart March between 8:30 a.m. and noon.
At some point during the morning, the team, cast and crew will observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
The Freeport High School ROTC will present the U.S. flag and lead the moment of silence.
The construction activity for the day will largely be demolition.
No spectators will be allowed on site until after 2 p.m. Spectator buses will run from 2 to 8 p.m. from Lincoln Mall in Freeport.
Beginning Sept. 11, Media Tent hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Special arrangements can be made for off-hours requests.
Transportation Update
A reminder for spectators of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project
Freeport, Ill., 10 September 2009 – We have had a number of queries regarding the necessity of spectators living in Lena and west of Lena driving to Freeport to board the spectator bus, which departs from Lincoln Mall in Freeport. The transportation system was set up to accommodate the greatest number of both spectators and volunteers in the most efficient and effective manner. While it may seem counter-intuitive for people to drive to the east to get on a bus that will then take them west, please be assured that many options were considered and this was determined to be the best way to handle virtually thousands of volunteers (who need to follow special check-in procedures) and other thousands of spectators.
There may be a 30 – 90 minute wait for the spectator bus as it completes its round-trip.
If you are NOT a volunteer and attempt to board the bus at Rafters outside Lena, you will be directed to the spectator pick-up in Freeport. Please do not attempt to convince the hard-working volunteer area check-in coordinators, who are also volunteering, that you should be allowed to ride the volunteer bus. The transportation information for both volunteers and spectators appears below to reiterate the process.
We have also had questions regarding handicap accessibility of the buses and site. The spectator bus is handicap-accessible but please keep in mind that this is a construction site and access at the site itself may be less than ideal. The logistics crew onsite will be as accommodating as possible while still working to ensure the safety of everyone there.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Visitor Information:
All visitors must take scheduled transportation to the build site. Please board the Spectator Bus at Lincoln Mall in Freeport (1265 W. Galena Avenue). There is parking available at the mall for your vehicle: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TO THE BUILD SITE – you will be turned back. The bus to/from the build site will run continuously– there are no scheduled departure/arrival times.
Please note that spectator hours are as follows:
10-15 September – 8 am to 8 pm
16 September (Reveal Day) – 8 am to 6 pm
17 September – no spectators permitted (bus will not run)
Volunteer Information:
If you have been accepted as a volunteer on the build, you should have received an e-mail verification regarding your shift(s). If you received an e-mail but the shift information section was blank, you are an on-call volunteer and will only be called to work if needed.
Please report to the volunteer check-in area at Rafters Restaurant (9426 W. Wagner Road) a minimum of 45 minutes prior to the start of your assigned shift(s). Here you will receive your blue volunteer t-shirt and other information, and will need to complete paperwork (you can make this part go faster by downloading and completing the Volunteer Release and an Appearance Release and Confidentiality Agreement available online at
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com). DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TO THE BUILD SITE – you will be turned back. The bus to/from the build site will run continuously from Rafters – there are no scheduled departure/arrival times. Please do not bring any personal items with you – there is nowhere at the site where they can be securely stored (the exception is tools for skilled trades – tradespeople, you should already have all necessary information about this).
Please remember to wear closed-toe shoes – you will not be allowed to board the bus without them.
For more information on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition northwest Illinois build, visit
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com. Follow events leading up to the build – and the build itself – via Twitter and Facebook.
Courtesy M45 Marketing
September 10, 2009
‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Daily Update
Following is an anticipated schedule for tomorrow’s build at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building site in Lena, Illinois:
The team will be getting the home ready for tear-down.
Spectator and volunteer buses will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Information on volunteer and spectator transportation is available at www.extremehaskenconstruction.com.
The Official Door Knock Held September 9th
Lena Illinois- Detour is the word. Route 20 is the place.
From now until September 18th Rt. 20, west of Lena, will be closed for some repairs. Repairs to a home. The Stott family of Lena were officially chosen today by the hit ABC television show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, as the family in this area to receive a new home.
Starting early this morning, phone lines burned up, emails flowed, and the excitement grew from everyone in the community. Who would it be? The family got the "door-knock," around 9 am. They were informed in full "TV," style that they would be whisked away to Disneyland and spend the week in San Fransisco while their old home is demolished, and a new one built in it’s place.
The media was treated cordially throughout the day to meet the family, television cast and crew, and tour the grounds. Only media, some volunteers, workers and crew were allowed on the site today.
"I am overwhelmed," said Kay Guthrie, Joey Stott’s mother. "Things like this just don’t happen to people like us."
The parents of Joey Stott paid a surprise visit from Poplar Grove, unannounced, to be with their daughter on her dream day. Kay Guthrie received a phone call from Joey the night before in which Joey told her she didn’t think their family had been chosen.
"Mom, it can’t be us," said Stott to her mother.
"Well, hello!" Said Kay Guthrie today as she looked around at all of the commotion.
Rick Hasken, of Hasken Construction, the general contractor of the project, said he had only had about an hours worth of sleep the night before after meeting with the other contractors and crew members. The home is expected to be built in 106 hours with a completion date of September 17th. Exclusive SeeFreeNews.com Video and Photos: click here
Freeport, Ill. (September 9, 2009) -- Staff, board members and volunteers of the American Red Cross Northwest Illinois Chapter learned today that, in April, Chapter Disaster Team members had aided the family selected by the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team for a home makeover.
The Stott family’s rural Lena home was seriously damaged in an April 26 fire, and Chapter disaster team members were on the scene immediately that morning.
Chapter Board officer Bobbie Yount said the Stott family fire was the first disaster she ever responded to as a Red Cross disaster team volunteer.
“If the people just knew the work we do to prepare for these moments they’d be shocked. I am just jubilant that this family is getting a new place. I am overjoyed,” Yount said.
This past spring, Joey and Philip Stott woke in the middle of the night to a series of electrical explosions like a fireworks display. The fire department arrived quickly enough to save the house, but warned that the same thing could happen again if the ancient wiring weren’t totally replaced. But the family cannot afford to pay or replace the home’s electrical wiring.
Joey, 33, her husband Philip, 45, and their three children Kaila, 19, Jonathan, 16, and Michael, 15, are currently living in one-bedroom trailer as the house is uninhabitable. Now it’s up to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team leader Ty Pennington, designers Paul DiMeo, Ed Sanders, and Paige Hemmis, local builder Hasken Construction, and community volunteers transform their home.
In conjunction with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s work, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team is extending their goodwill to the entire community by encouraging people to donate blood and join the “Be the Match Registry” in honor of the Stott family – particularly Joey, who is a leukemia survivor.
The Northwest Illinois Chapter in Freeport – the Chapter which aided the family in disaster – is hosting the first of the drives from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday Sept. 11 at its Chapter location, 224 W. Galena Ave. In Freeport, men and women in uniform help save lives every day, but during the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build, they are joining forces to save lives in one more way. The Freeport Police and Fire Departments will battle it out to recruit the most blood donors during the American Red Cross chapter drive location at an event called “Battle of the Badges.” Whichever agency sends the most donors to the drive wins the battle.
In addition, the Chapter will hold its last final push to sign up new volunteers in accordance with President Barack Obama’s “United We Serve” national campaign, Friday at the Chapter location.
Courtesy American Red Cross
Guidelines Released for Build Spectators, Volunteers
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition site accessible only by bus
Freeport, Ill., 9 September 2009 – Now that the family has been revealed, information on how to visit the site as a spectator or prepare for a volunteer shift has been released.
Visitor Information:
All visitors must take scheduled transportation to the build site. Please board the Spectator Bus at Lincoln Mall in Freeport (1265 W. Galena Avenue). There is parking available at the mall for your vehicle: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TO THE BUILD SITE – you will be turned back. The bus to/from the build site will run continuously– there are no scheduled departure/arrival times.
Please note that spectator hours are as follows:
10-15 September – 8 am to 8 pm
16 September (Reveal Day) – 8 am to 6 pm
17 September – no spectators permitted (bus will not run)
Volunteer Information:
If you have been accepted as a volunteer on the build, you should have received an e-mail verification regarding your shift(s). If you received an e-mail but the shift information section was blank, you are an on-call volunteer and will only be called to work if needed.
Please report to the volunteer check-in area at Rafters Restaurant (9426 W. Wagner Road) a minimum of 45 minutes prior to the start of your assigned shift(s). Here you will receive your blue volunteer t-shirt and other information, and will need to complete paperwork (you can make this part go faster by downloading and completing the Volunteer Release and an Appearance Release and Confidentiality Agreement available online at
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com). DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TO THE BUILD SITE – you will be turned back. The bus to/from the build site will run continuously from Rafters – there are no scheduled departure/arrival times. Please do not bring any personal items with you – there is nowhere at the site where they can be securely stored (the exception is tools for skilled trades – tradespeople, you should already have all necessary information about this).
Please remember to wear closed-toe shoes – you will not be allowed to board the bus without them.
For more information on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition northwest Illinois build, visit
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com. Follow events leading up to the build – and the build itself – via Twitter and Facebook.
Courtesy M45 Marketing
The Winner is:
Yes, it's the Stott family of Lena who are the lucky winners of a new home from ABC's hit show Extreme Home Makeover Edition. The family was officially notified this morning, Wednesday September 9th, that they will receive a new home and other offerings to help them get over their hardships. The home was partially destroyed earlier this year by fire. The home is located on Rt. 20 just west of Lena, and the road will be closed to traffic during the build.There will be more details to follow later today from SeeFreeNews.com.
Congratulations!
7:30 a.m. September 9 in Freeport at the Hampton Inn Parking lot. The Extreme Makeover Home Edition vehicles and bus are ready to go.
Food Drive Aims to Raise 6 Tons as We ‘Raise the Roof’
Drive done as part of build will benefit pantries throughout the area
Freeport, Ill., 8 September 2009 – It’s a time to make audacious goals, and Freeport Area Church Cooperative food pantry director Dean Wright has a goal of his own – gather 6 tons of food in just over a week to distribute to food pantries throughout northwest Illinois in conjunction with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project.
“Building a house in 106 hours seemed impossible before this all began, but it can be done,” said Wright, who is spearheading the drive for six pantries in the area. “The community is coming together in a thousand different ways to make this happen, and we’re counting on that community spirit to help us make sure families across the region have enough to eat.”
Area pantries who will share in the collected bounty include the Freeport Area Church Cooperative, the United Churches of Galena Food Pantry, Stockton Community Food Pantry, the Lena Food Pantry, the Pearl City Outreach Food Pantry, and the German Valley Food Pantry
The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition food drive begins now, with collection barrels for non-perishable items placed at these grocery stores throughout the area:
Sullivans-Stockton
Sullivans-Lena
Sullivans-Freeport
Cub Foods-Freeport
Sav A Lot-Freeport
Wal Mart-Freeport
“We’re also asking anyone who’s going out to the build site – whether they’re a volunteer or a spectator – to contribute at least one non-perishable food item,” Wright said. Collection barrels will be at the bus pickup area for spectators and volunteers (pickup locations will be announced on Wednesday 9 September).
Wright is also inviting businesses big and small across the area to hold their own food drives. “It’s a small way to be a part of this incredible event, and we’re hoping that companies challenge their employees to show their generosity by helping put food on tables across northwest Illinois,” Wright said. “They can bring their food to any of the collection sites, or if their food drive is really successful, we can make arrangements to get the food picked up.”
A downloadable sign for food collection containers for businesses conducting their own drives is available at www.extremehaskenconstruction.com. Businesses looking to arrange pick-up of their food donations at the end of their drives (or during the drives, if large amounts are collected and need to be picked up) may call M45 Marketing Services at 815-232-2121, ext. 221.
Gossip Gossip Gossip Extreme Makeover Home Edition Editorial
by Keith Bardell
Freeport Illinois- So, here we go onto Wednesday September 9. The BIG day. Yes, you know it. It’s the day one family is chosen to receive a new, liveable, home. By now you know that the hit ABC show Extreme Makeover Home Edition is in town to make one family’s dream come true. September 9th marks the end of days of rumor, gossip and innuendo. This day marks the thrill of a lifetime for one family, and many of the area’s volunteers that will help with the construction.
You may also have been hearing rumors from your long-lost relatives, co-workers, and local shopkeepers. What is the truth and what is gossip? Who’s the family? Where’s Ty? Well, all of your questions will be answered on the 9th, and I am writing this special editorial to assure all of our readers that SeeFreeNews.com will be on the scene to bring you continuing updates as they happen.
It is also my pleasure to announce that I have also been asked to be the editor of The Highland Chronicle, the newspaper produced at Highland Community College, here in Freeport. I have found a love of journalism and a passion for reporting the "happy," news and "local events." It’s what I do. What could be a more "happy event," than the show Extreme Makeover Home Edition coming to town. I am as eager as you to join in the celebrations, and in the work, to make one family’s dream come true.
Use this form to send your comments to SeeFreeNews.com *These comments are for this site only and will not be forwarded to any other site*
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Web site for northwest Illinois project showcases ‘little things’ that mean a lot
Freeport, Ill., 6 September 2009 – “This is about community coming together,” Extreme Makeover: Home Edition executive producer Conrad Ricketts told volunteers last Wednesday. In that spirit, anyone involved in the northwest Illinois project is invited to post thanks for “random acts of kindness” on the Web site dedicated to the build,
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com.“We have a place to thank major donors on the Web site,” said Marilyn Smit, co-founder of M45 Marketing Services, which is managing the build’s Web site. “But so many people are giving of their time and talent, just ‘pitching in’ to help, and we wanted to have a way to thank those people. This project is all about helping each other, and we wanted to recognize the many people who are making all of this possible!”
Volunteers working on the build will have a chance to submit a “random act” thank you, and anyone is welcome to contribute by sending an e-mail to
thankyou@m45.com. Only first names will be used.
For more information on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition northwest Illinois build, visit
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com. Follow events leading up to the build – and the build itself – via Twitter and Facebook.
Look to Web Site for Ways to Help
Goods and services still needed for the northwest Illinois build
Freeport, Ill., 5 September 2009 – Though the volunteer roster for the northwest Illinois Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build filled up in just four hours, there are still plenty of ways people can help.
“We have a list of goods and services needed available on the Web site,” said Jess Hasken, donations and materials coordinator for the project. “As anyone who watches the show knows, each family and each house is different, so there are a lot of ‘little’ things, like books and people who can sew, that we still need to find.”
The goods and services needed list can be found on the
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com Web site – click “what we need” in the left-hand menu and scroll to the bottom of the page.
“Even if you don’t have or do anything on that list, we invite you to give what you can – even $5 will help us toward our goal of raising $75,000 to help buy project materials and services that aren’t donated,” Hasken said.
For more information on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition northwest Illinois build, visit
www.extremehaskenconstruction.com. Follow events leading up to the build – and the build itself – via Twitter and Facebook.
SportsPlex Donation Can Win You a VIP House Tour
Five winners, friends will tour the family’s house before move-in day
Freeport, Ill., – Ten people – five winners and a friend each – will tour the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition family’s house before the family moves in through a special contest open now. A $5 donation to the SportsPlex in Freeport buys a chance at the tour ($20 buys five chances).
All proceeds from the contest will go to help complete the construction of SportsPlex, a 15-acre soccer complex that is home to nearly 500 area youth soccer players through the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and the Freeport Soccer Club’s ILLOWA games.
“We were able to open SportsPlex for play in 2006, but the presentation and concession pavilion hasn’t been completed,” said Rick Hasken, lead contractor for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build and one of the key players in building SportsPlex. “We hope that the funds we raise through this contest will help us make this complex a great place for families to enjoy sports.”
Chances in the contest will be available in the volunteer and spectator areas at the building site and also are available at:
In Freeport:
Cub Foods
The Journal-Standard
M45 Marketing Services
Malcolm Eaton Enterprises
State Bank – Freeport, 1718 S. Dirck Drive, Freeport
In northwest Illinois:
Stephenson County Visitors Center (on U.S. 20 east of Freeport)
Apple River State Bank, 103 N. Main, Apple River
Apple River State Bank, 112 N. Main, Elizabeth
Apple River State Bank, 215 Jefferson, Hanover
Apple River State Bank, 510 N. Main, Scales Mound
Apple River State Bank, 135 E. Main, Warren
First Community Bank of Galena, a branch of Apple River State Bank, 101 Exchange Street, Galena
German American State Bank, 100 Church Street, German Valley
German American State Bank, 1305 Main Street, Pecatonica
German American State Bank, 3034 S. Pecatonica Road, Seward
German American State Bank, 809 Cannel-Puri Court, Winnebago
Lena State Bank, 915 S. Logan Street, Lena
Northwest Bank of Rockford, 4932 N. Second Street, Loves Park
Northwest Bank of Rockford, 1100 Ralston Road, Machesney Park
Northwest Bank of Rockford, 125 Phelps, Rockford
Northwest Bank of Rockford, 3106 N. Rockton Avenue, Rockford
State Bank of Davis, 100 Route 75, Davis
In Wisconsin:
Monroe Times, 1065 4th Avenue West, Monroe
The winners will be drawn at noon Tuesday, Sept. 15. Winners will be notified by phone, and told the exact time of the tour, which will take place Sept. 16 before the family sees the home for the first time. No photography will be allowed.
For more information on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition northwest Illinois build and the SportsPlex project, visit www.extremehaskenconstruction.com. Follow events leading up to the build – and the build itself – via Twitter and Facebook.
About Hasken Construction
Hasken Construction LLC is dedicated to building distinctive, quality crafted custom homes and commercial buildings with unique designs, attention to detail, and tailored to customers’ dream specifications. When building, designing, remodeling and/or renovating, their custom work is based on the customer’s objectives. As a full-service builder, they direct the building process from the concept stage through final completion with the goal of delivering the highest quality product with prompt, courteous service. This includes but is not limited to site analysis, blueprint development, actual construction, landscaping, and warranty service.
The Haskens began remodeling existing homes in 1982. In 1985, Hasken Construction began building at Lake Carroll, Illinois and since that time they have become a major presence in northwest Illinois.
About ABC-TVs Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is entering its 7th season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Anthony Dominici is the executive producer; and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The show airs on Sundays (7:00 p.m. CST), on the ABC Television Network.
Courtesy M45 Marketing
Building Team Ready to ‘Make the Impossible Happen’
Show’s executive producer rallies, inspires contractors, volunteers
Freeport, Ill., 2 September 2009 – Conrad Ricketts, the executive producer of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, gathered the contractors and volunteers for an uplifting pep rally Wednesday morning at Highland Community College in Freeport.
The Emmy-award winning hit reality show is coming to northwest Illinois to surprise one lucky family with a home of their dreams. Led by Hasken Construction, the team – along with thousands of volunteers – will complete the new house in one week (actual construction time: 106 hours). The family will be named Wednesday 9 September.
“You don’t need us, you don’t need cameras, or Hollywood,” Ricketts told the crowd. “You don’t need Ty to make a difference in someone’s life. This is about community coming together.” The contractors – specialists in everything from landscaping to plumbing, framing to concrete – watched videos showing the impact previous projects have had on their communities. The focus of each video, and of Rickett’s remarks, was on being an everyday hero.
“It’s about more than this one family,” said Ricketts, who has captained all 158 of the show’s previous projects. “It’s about the community.”
The show, he said, isn’t just an American sensation; it’s translated into 58 languages and shown in 69 countries across the globe. Each week’s project is a testament to the American spirit. “These are hard times, yes, but (people around the world) see that we find our strength, our steel, in helping each other. You all are the heroes, our everyday heroes.
You’ll find that churches will come up with cookies for you,” Ricketts said. “Your children will tell you you’re a hero. You’ll see people who might be struggling to pay their own mortgage coming out to volunteer to help someone else. It’s amazing, and I want you to know it’ll be over like that,” he said with a snap of his fingers. “Take the time to step back and watch the miracle.”
In keeping with the show’s community spirit, Ricketts announced that a food drive and a blood drive will be conducted during the week of the build. “In Philo (Ill.), we raised enough to feed 12,000 families, and our blood drives can collect 500 to 600 units of blood,” he said.
Details on the food and blood drives, as well as other community projects, including fundraising efforts for SportsPlex, will be announced soon.
All of the volunteer slots for the build have been filled – more than 1,500 people signed up within four hours of the online sign-up going live at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31. Donations – of both goods and cash – are still needed. Visit www.HaskenConstruction.com for more information.
Knock, Knock. Who’s There?
Freeport Illinois- The announcement was made today at the new SprotsPlex in Freeport on South Walnut road at 2pm that the hit ABC show Extreme Makeover Home Edition is coming to the area.
Hasken Construction company has been chosen to be the general contractor for the project. Rick Hasken spoke at the press conference letting the community know of at least some of the details. Hundreds of volunteers may be needed also for the project to be completed. Hasken was contacted just over a week ago and was asked to complete a house in just 106 hours.
Ryan Hughes, owner/designer of Twilights by design, was contacted just this last weekend to complete the landscape lighting.
"I was contacted just this last weekend," said Hughes. "We are doing the landscape portion and external lighting."
Jeff Wagner, owner of Jansen Heating, was contacted to complete the heating and cooling of the home. There will be many more contractors involved and many more volunteers needed for the home to be completed. Rain or shine, the goal is to have the home completed by September 17th with the official "door knock," to kick off the project being held on September 9.
There are 5 families still in the running in the area. The home that is chosen is being kept secret until Sept. 9.
More information about the project and how you can help can be found here.
See SeeFreeNews.com's EXCLUSIVE announcement video here.