Follow the Build

Follow the build through our job site blog. We'll post interesting developments throughout each day. Once the build begins on March 6 you can follow our daily progress right here.

Other ways to find out what's happening in realtime:
Intern Blog: http://extremeebheroes.tumblr.com
Flickr Photos: http://flickr.com/photos/extremeebheroes
Twitter: http://twitter.com/extremeebheroes

Welcome Home to the Cooper Family!

14th March, 2009

The Cooper family is home at last.

Yesterday, builders, volunteers, and around 1,000 spectators braved a chilly rain and near-freezing temperatures at the build site in Jamesville to welcome the Jeff Cooper family to their new home-- a fully handicap-accessible, contemporary-style log cabin.

It was the day known as "Move that Bus" day to fans of the show, and Jeff Cooper was visibly emotional when the big tour bus drove forward to reveal his new home. The family spent a week in Washington, D.C. on vacation while the house was being built.

The big reveal was also an emotional time for John Norris, the chief builder of the house, and Jonathan White, the architect. The two men have been working non-stop throughout the week with only three or four hours of sleep any given day, and, of course, they were under a constant time constraint, especially as the building lagged behind schedule for most of the week. But, on Friday, with the outside of the house finished, the landscaping in the yard perfected, and the inside of the house furnished and cozily lit, both Norris and White finally were able to enjoy the product of all their hard work.

Hundreds of spectators were also there to welcome the Cooper family, among them family members of the Coopers, veteran, fans of the show from the community. For more updates throughout today about the final reveal, as well as photographs from the last few days of the show, visit http://extremeebheroes.tumblr.com/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/extremeebheroes.

Volunteers Still Needed at Jamesville Build Site

11th March, 2009

As "Move that Bus" day draws nearer and nearer, organizers with Edenton Builders are looking for skilled volunteers to help complete the Jamesville house. The house is still a little behind schedule, and so project managers are looking for skilled volunteers-- painters, masons, roofers, framers, and siders-- to work Wednesday night and all day Thursday to finish the job.

Builders made progress throughout the day Wednesday, though, and, by Wednesday afternoon, the exterior of the house was starting to take on its log-cabin form. Builders are siding the house with e-logs, a kind of siding made from recycled materials that appear to be wood logs. Not only is this kind of siding better for the environment, but, because it insulates better than a plain wood exterior, it will also help the Coopers reduce their energy bills.

In hopes of furthering the house's green quotient, builders also are looking to install a $25,000 geothermal energy system on the site. In such a system, water that runs through an underground pipe will transfer the heat from the ground to the house in the winter, and then divert the heat from the house back to the ground during the summer. This kind of energy system can save the Coopers anywhere from 60 to 80% on their energy costs.

 For behind the scenes information from the build site, check out our ExtremeEBHeroes intern blog at http://extremeebheroes.tumblr.com/.

 

 

Moving Along Toward "Move that Bus" Day

10th March, 2009

Things are moving along at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build site in Jamesville-- by late on Tuesday, the roof trusses had been put up, most of the foam insulation had been installed, and the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC duct work were in place. Although the build is slightly behind schedule, builders say that they are expecting to catch up in the next day or so.

"We're getting back on schedule and moving along really well," said Brian Wheeler, a East Carolina University construction management lecturer who is also a construction manager on the build site. Wheeler also has brought along more than two dozen ECU construction management students, who are working 12-hour shifts on the site over their spring break.

"When you're doing volunteer work, you have to bring your flexibility with you, your patience, and of course, in a situation like this, there's a lot of love that's required," Wheeler said. "We're here to serve."

Wheeler said his students are enjoying their time on the build site so much that they're reluctant to go home each night.

"Each evening, we really hate pull out of here," he said. "We don't want to miss anything."

A few familiar faces were also on site on Tuesday, including former UNC-Chapel Hill basketball player Surry Wood. Wood heard about the build a few weeks ago from a friend who works with the Raleigh-based Evergreen Builder Solutions, the company that installed the foam insulation for the house. Wood began volunteering at the site at 2:30 am on Tuesday, and he worked most of the day into the afternoon.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition doesn't come here too often, and  you see it on TV, and it's always kind of cool," Wood says. "You get to  do some good and help a family out who's down."

McDonald's has been supplying coffee for all volunteers on the site 24/7, and, on Tuesday afternoon, Ronald McDonald, the restaurant's famous spokesperson, stopped by to chat with volunteers and spectators. Ronald, with his face in clown paint and dressed in his signature yellow jumpsuit with yellow and red sleeves, said he hoped he could use his influence to get others to visit the build site.

"Hopefully, I can use my celebrity to encourage somebody else to say, 'Hey, Ronald's out there at the site-- why can't we be out there at the site?' Then that's what I'm aiming for."

For more up-to-the minute news from behind the scenes, check out the Extreme EB Heroes intern blog at http://extremeebheroes.tumblr.com/

EM: HE House is Taking Shape

9th March, 2009

In the past two days, the Jeff Cooper family home has gone from a dilapidated single-wide trailer to the beginnings of what is sure to be an extraordinary home.

While the house is far from complete-- by the end of Monday, builders had almost completely framed the house and were preparing to insulate the walls-- the home is taking shape already.

"It's Monday, and we're already watching the majority of a house framed in? It's unbelievable," said Russell Overman, the Martin County Manager.

The building process officially started on Sunday morning with the "Braveheart March" (named, of course, after those famous battle scenes from the movie Braveheart), during which around 200 volunteers stormed down Cooper Lane. The battle scene aura was further enhanced by 60 or so Civil War re-enactors, who were at the build site re-enacting Civil War battles and playing old-fashioned music for the cameras.

After the Braveheart March, demolition of the Cooper's old home began, and, by Monday afternoon, volunteer builders already had framed most of the house. By Tuesday morning, the entire house will be completely enclosed and fully insulated.

And while the builders have been working around the clock, the other volunteers at the build site have been preparing for the later stages of the project.

This week, Lisa Pendry and her husband, Dale, are working to outfit the entire house with fabric from their store, Fabric & Sofas in Greenvile, NC. Lisa has recruited a handful of design students and seamstresses to sew all the curtains, fabric, pillows, and the like for the house. And although the show's order for the fabric was a tall one-- their store donated around $5,000 worth of fabric-- Lisa says she is thrilled to be able to help out.

"Any veteran deserves extra attention and extra help," she says. "So helping the family, and knowing I wish I could help a lot of other people, was the main drive."

Find out up-to-date information about the Cooper Family build at the Extreme Heroes intern blog: http://extremeebheroes.tumblr.com/

Military and Veterans Parade Rallies Support for Cooper Family

7th March, 2009

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew filmed at the North Carolina Veterans Memorial on Saturday in Broadway, NC, where around 400 military personnel, veterans, and family members gathered to rally support for Jeff Cooper and his family. The Veterans and Military Parade was both a way to honor veterans and active-duty officers across the state and also a show of solidarity with Jeff Cooper. Cooper is a veteran of the first Gulf War and is now active in veteran-advocacy groups in Eastern North Carolina.

Although Broadway is about two and a half hours southwest of the Coopers' home in Jamesville, people from across the statefrom as far away as Raleigh, Jacksonville, and Winston-Salem came out to support a man whom they consider a brother in arms.

"We honor any and all veterans. That's what it's all about, and that's what we do," said LuAnn Spain of Raleigh, who came to Broadway with a motorcycling group that raises awareness about POW/MIA issues called Rolling Thunder. Spain is not a veteran, but she says because she is a military "mother, daughter, niece, sister, and aunt," she feels connected to the Cooper family.

The veterans and their supporters packed Main Street in picturesque downtown Broadway, which is anchored by the 102-year old Broadway Presbyterian and has just one traffic light. The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew, along with designer Ty Pennington, filmed as the veterans marched near the North Carolina Veterans Memorial and saluted the flag.

John Gaumer, a 90 year old Sanford native and a Navy veteran, was one of the veterans honored at the parade. Gaumer fought at Normandy on D-Day.

"I'm very happy to be here, and I want to thank all these people for honoring us," he said. Gaumer said he was very grateful to be a part of honoring the Cooper family. "I never expected to be in something like that. And I'm grateful to all you people who planned this for us."

At the end of the afternoon, dozens of veterans on motorcycles led a motorcade down Main Street, and the Navy Seabee Veterans of America paraded down on a special float. WR "Bear" Holland, who retired from the Navy 18 years ago, is a National Commander with the Navy Seabee Veterans of America and assisted in the flag-raising part of the ceremony.

"I turned 18 in Germany, 19 in Vietnam," Holland said. "My son's been in the desert twice. We're a family that serves, as every one of these women and gentlemen have done. And when we're on the line, and facing death, it's each other that we're fighting for."

 Find out up-to-date information about the Cooper Family build at the Extreme Heroes intern blog: http://extremeebheroes.tumblr.com/

Knock, Knock: It's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!

6th March, 2009

Jeff Cooper and his family got the surprise of their lives early Friday morning, when they woke up to find the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition television crew outside their double-wide mobile home in rural Jamesville, NC.

Cooper, who served as an army medic during the first Gulf War, has Gulf War Syndrome he is now confined to a wheelchair, suffering from serious immune disorders and multiple sclerosis. Cooper has been living in a cramped, handicap-inaccessible mobile home with his wife, Clara, children Windy, age 17, and Aaron, 14, and dog, Gabby, who is a trained "seizure dog" for Jeff.

"I'm so excited, but I'm still afraid I'm going to wake up and it's not going to be true," Clara said Friday afternoon. She says she hopes the new house will be able to provide "just a little peace of mind." "I'm sure whatever it is, it's going to be beautiful. It'll be wonderful," she said. "It will be such a relief on us."

Aaron, who is a freshman at Jamesville High School, is also disabled, having lost most of his right arm in an accident two years ago. He says he can't wait to invite his friends over to the new house.

"Before, [my friends] had to sleep on the hard plywood floors," Aaron said. "Now they'll actually have a bed."

The Friday morning surprise is just the beginning of a week-long effort spearheaded by Edenton Builders of Edenton, NC. At the end of the week, the Cooper family will have a brand-new home made of and furnished inside withdonated materials. While many donations have already been received, the builders still need funds to offset pre-build deficits. To donate, visit our website at: http://extremeebheroes.com/donate.php

Jonathan White, the head architect with Beacon Architecture in Kitty Hawk, said he was overwhelmed by the support from the building community, especially as builders in Eastern North Carolina have been hit hard by the financial crisis.

"Seeing this many people pitch in and pool their resources, and seeing the community pull together to make this happen, is a powerful thing," White said.

Hundreds of community-based volunteers are expected to help with the build during the week. Penny Binns and Vonna O'Neill are part of an Edenton, NC-based group called "Ladies Who Lunch." Their group has organized 4,500 meals to feed the thousands of volunteers who are set to help with the build during the week.

Through Binn and O'Neill's efforts, restaurants like Golden Corral and Edenton-based Nothing Fancy and Chero's have contributed nearly $65,000 worth of food to feed volunteers over the next week.

"We got everything, and it's all donated, delivered, and hot," Binns said.

Binns said that the "Ladies Who Lunch" group, which has been working on garnering food donations for two weeks, has been overwhelmed by the community response to their donation-drive. In fact, she says, they ended up having more meal donation offers than they actually needed.

"We're getting so much more out of what we're giving." O'Neill said. "And there's more to come. This is just the beginning."

If you are a skilled volunteer, you can still sign up to help with the build. Find out more at http://extremeebheroes.com/volunteer.php

Get up-to-date information about the Cooper Family build at the Extreme Heroes intern blog: http://extremeebheroes.tumblr.com/