What a thrill! That about sums up how I feel about being invited out to the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EMHE) build to benefit the Sharrock family. My colleague, Jon Moss, and I were asked to get some behind-the-scenes stories that wouldn’t be shown on the news channels, and in turn, spent a day on site the day before the big reveal.
Outside view of the home approximately 11:00 am - day before the big reveal.
We arrived on site about 11:00 am armed with Flip video cameras and my Nikon D80. We were met by our VIP host Jim Frierson and immediately began our tour.
The neighborhood itself is modest and about 3 blocks were full of EMHE equipment, supplies, trailers, volunteers, VIPS, and crew. There was a media and VIP area set up in the front yards of the Sharrock’s neighbors. In fact, I know for certain that the man whose yard served as the VIP luncheon and activity area, remained in his home the entire time. What a trooper!
Outdoor living area including an outdoor kitchen with grill and fireplace.
We headed around to the backyard of the neighbor’s house so that we could catch some action going on towards the back of the build. The retaining wall you see in the photo was an addition to the property to allow for execution of the home plans.
You can see the volunteers working on the outdoor living area which includes an outdoor kitchen with grill and fireplace. Viewing the work up close was stunning and I’m sure it will look fantastic when the episode airs this spring.
Camera equipment used to get the cool aerial shots.
While on this side of the home, we witnessed the arrival of this fancy piece of equipment that is used to get the aerial shots of the home. It almost felt like we were on a movie set.
We shot some video as well, and I’ll keep you posted when we get that up. More content will also be viewable on the Business Chatt site.
The mail made it through - and with a smile!
We then headed back to the street side, where we met the Sharrock’s mail carrier. Not rain, snow, sleet or an Extreme Makeover build stopped the delivery of the mail during this week. However, this lovely lady did have to park the mail truck and head out on foot to deliver. Although, mail certainly wasn’t in the minds of the Sharrock family, as they were on vacation.
We continued on and visited the catering tent. Kudos to Amanda Varnell who was responsible for the 24-hour catering schedule! (One of my favorite things about Amanda was the PINK hardhat she sported!) All of these volunteers needed to be feed and they needed to be feed around the clock.
Catering Tent
24 hour service - Panera at 2:00 am!
We enjoyed lunch on site and during lunch I sat next to Amanda Varnell and chatted a bit. At this point in the week, her voice was rather scratchy, she was tired, but still thrilled to be able to participate in the extraordinary effort.
That was the common theme from all the people we spoke to. The response and turn-out from the community was awe-inspiring. Volunteers who had worked extraordinary and consecutive hours were thanking the crew of EMHE for the opportunity.
I spoke with the senior location manager, John, and he and the crew are so grateful for the volunteers that do come forward for this venture. Without the volunteers, there would be no show.
The Camera Department's mascot. She travels to every site.
We also came across the Camera Department’s mascot that travels to every location with them. Quite pretty, no? I guess she has more of a behind the scenes face.
We then traveled to the other side of the Sharrock home, which essentially was the other neighbor’s yard. There we watched some of the action going on towards the back, where a custom “treehouse” inspired by the Lord of The Rings movies
Custom treehouse for Patrick.
was being installed for Patrick Sharrock. The treehouse was installed at ground level for accessibility for Patrick who has the condition which is commonly known as brittle bone disease. We watched as a group of volunteers, Ed Sanders and Xzibit worked to move this heavy and cumbersome treehouse off of the truck and into place in the yard. No simple feat! However, I am confident that their efforts are being enjoyed by Patrick who had built a little treehouse of his own in the bushes of his backyard, but now has the real deal.
Designers Ed Sanders and Xzibit waiting to take action.
We were extremely fortunate to have gotten a tour of the inside of the home. Wow! We were not allowed to take photos, but it certainly was a treat that I’ll savor. The house was built with Patrick’s safety in mind, so many details were incorporated to help keep Patrick as safe as possible. I loved the second sink in the kitchen, which was the perfect height for Patrick to use. Of course, the design of the home is outstanding, as are all the homes that EMHE does. However, the coolest feature inside the home, is the indoor pool area for Patrick to exercise in. A pool right in the center of the house.
Jon and I near the spot of the treehouse installation.
Walking through the house, we found ourselves amongst the many volunteers working tirelessly in every room of that home to ready it for the big reveal which was about 24 hours away. And although I watched it take place, it is still so amazing that this entire effort is completed in a week’s time.
I have more stories, photos and videos to share – stay tuned!
