Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Surprises Local Family
The Big Nail doesn’t watch a lot of television, but if it did, one show it’d certainly make sure not to miss is ABC’s ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.’ Much to many people’s surprise, the show is now filming right in the Big Nail’s backyard. Earlier this week, ABC, with assistance from our local Habitat for Humanity volunteers, surprised a local family by providing them with an extreme home makeover of their own.
From Christy Arboscello at The Detroit Free Press:
In the first months after David Gilliam and his family moved into an 1886-era farmhouse in Armada Township, he ripped out some cabinets, installed a new well and began other improvements.
But he never finished the work. He died suddenly on Christmas Eve 2005, just 41.“He started to renovate it. That was his dream,” said Armada Township Fire Chief Steve Jerzewski, who has fond memories of Gilliam and his work as a firefighter and paramedic in the community.
On Monday, ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” surprised his widow, Maryann Gilliam, 32, and her six children with a promise to fulfill David Gilliam’s dream and tear down and rebuild the home over the next week.
The show’s producers whisked away Maryann Gilliam and the children — whose ages range from 8 months to 12 years — from her sister’s home in Mt. Clemens to an undisclosed vacation spot. On Monday, they are expected to return to a newly built home on their 1-acre lot. The show’s air date has yet to be determined, but it will appear in the upcoming season.
Click here for the rest of the article.
The Big Nail will have more on the Gilliam’s much deserved gift in the days and weeks to come. In the meantime, we salute ABC, the producers of ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,’ and the hundreds of local Habitat for Humanity volunteers for their hard work and dedication. In reality, this family–like all of the others the show serves–really needed your help!
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ARMADA TOWNSHIP: ‘Extreme’ effort gives grieving family new home
An Armada Township family received their new home Monday afternoon, one week after ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” crews arrived to complete a project that will be shown later on national television.
Maryann Gilliam, a widow, and her six children were shown the replacement of their 1886-era farmhouse, which was torn down. Gilliam’s husband, who was redoing the house, died suddenly last Christmas Eve. The family was living with relatives in Mt. Clemens before it was picked by the show to have its home rebuilt.
Macomb County-based American Heartland Homebuilder and Lombardo Homes combined to work with 3,000 contractors and volunteers as well as the show’s personalities to complete the home in a little more than two days.
An airdate was not known, but the show is expected to run on ABC during the upcoming season.
Comment by free press — August 16, 2006 @ 12:43 pm
dear sir/madam
i watch your show all the time & wondered if u can help my friend
he is an american citizen & lives in long island new york he had an
accident & is now in a wheelchair he recently had surgery (again)
& at times finds it hard to make ends meet. He’s house is badly in need of repairs but because of lack of funds he is unable to do this.I would love to be there if he gets to be chosen for your show
he is one of the kindest people i know even though he cannot walk
he still remains cheerful & would do anything for anyone if theres anyonr who deserves the help its him
Comment by jacqueline fearon — September 11, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
In my 31 years of new home selling experience, I have never been so touched as seeing the Gilliam family get their dream home. Thousands of folks came to support the “Extreme Team” as they built the Gilliam’s new home in less than something like 52 hours! It was a new record for a builder on “Extreme Makeover-Home Edition”.
Over the last couple of years, I have talked with three of the builders, nationwide, that have participated in the Extreme Makeovers and it has changed their lives as well. Most people believe builders are cunning and greedy. But projects such as this show the true altruistic and best side of a wonderful industry.
Hail “Extreme Makeover” and the builders that have participated!
For more information about new homes, watch for the New Home Expert, Jeannie Sample, coming soon to the Macomb County Voice!
Comment by Jeannie Sample — January 15, 2007 @ 6:06 am