SAINT PAUL CONGRATULATES
THE MORRIS FAMILY!

The life of a Saint Paul family changed forever when they were surprised by Ty Pennington and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's design team Friday, Oct. 2 and told they will be the recipients of a new home in just seven days. TJB Homes, Inc. along with thousands of volunteers, will work 24 hours-a-day for the following week to make possible the impossible for the Morris family.

About the Family
Sixteen years ago, Sandy Morris was pregnant with her first child and working as an early childhood education teacher. After the birth of her daughter, Catricia, Sandy examined her daycare options and discovered that none of them met her standards. Sandy decided to quit her job and start her own daycare in the community where she’d grown up. Because most high-quality daycares were too expensive for her neighbors, Sandy found ways to run her daycare at a lower cost and charges just enough to support herself and her family. She also offers a multicultural environment to these children, who affectionately call her “Tia Sandy.” Sandy’s dedication to her daycare and her community has produced one of the best daycares in the city. Unfortunately, Sandy runs her daycare out of their 100-year-old home, which is falling apart. The numerous repairs needed to make the home safe threaten to shut down the daycare. Now it’s up to Ty and the designers to build Sandy, 40, her daughter Catricia, 15, and her son Mychal, 12, a safe home that is a sanctuary for their family and will enable Sandy’s daycare to remain a center of community life and education.

How can you get involved?

Be a Spectator! (Oct. 2 - 9)
Spectators are welcome from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. THERE IS NO PARKING ON THE SITE.
Free parking and shuttle service to the site will be provided Monday - Friday Oct. 5 to 9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Signal Hills Parking Lot (50 Signal Hills Center, West Saint Paul, MN)

Map to Spectator Parking Lot

Donate Food and Blood!
A food and blood drive will accompany the build throughout the week. Spectators are asked to bring a non-perishable donation as the admission to the watch the filming of the show with a goal to raise more than 25,000 pounds of food for Neighborhood House Food Shelf.

Food donations can be brought directly to the Neighborhood House at Wellstone Center (179 Robie Street East, St. Paul, MN) or dropped off at the spectator parking lot at Signal Hills Center. Visit www.neighb.org  for more information and updates on the food drive.

The American Red Cross hosts convenient blood drives throughout the region for fans to give blood and show their support of the show. The Red Cross has set a donation goal of 4,800 blood and 475 platelet donations during the build (Oct. 2-9) for all blood drives combined.

Blood drive times and locations

Make a financial donation to the EXTREME Makeover Family Fund or the Extreme Food Drive.

Volunteer!
Please visit TJB Home, Inc. for more information on specific volunteer needs and to register.

Donate Resources!
For contact information to donated construction materials, food or other donations please visit TJB Homes, Inc.


Pep Rally Photos
Video of the Pep Rally

Photos from Extreme Pep Rally held Thursday, September 24 at Harriet Island Pavilion.

                        

Mayor Coleman rallies volunteers!        Tom Budzynski, TJB Homes,              Mayor Coleman and EMHE
                                                               presents Mayor with EMHE hat.         Executive Producer Conrad Ricketts

Partners

About ABC-TV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which won back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is entering its seventh season on ABC and has helped over 120 deserving families. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. The show airs on Sundays (7 – 8 p.m. Central Time) on the ABC Television network.

About TJB Homes, Inc.
TJB Homes, Inc. is a family-run business located in Blaine, Minn., founded in 1980 by owner Thomas J. Budzynski. TJB Homes, Inc. has been credited with many of the new concepts that are used in the Parade of Homes and Spring Preview and has won several sales and building awards. During his career, Tom has served on the Board of Directors for the St. Paul Builder's Association. As the builder of the Extreme Makeover Home 100th Edition in August 2007, Tom Budzynski speaks to groups about the EMHE project, team building, leadership, real estate or other topics.

About Neighborhood House
Neighborhood House operates the largest single-site food shelf in Ramsey County.  In 2008, Neighborhood House Food Shelf had over 7,500 visits by families in need and distributed over 554,000 pounds of food. Demand at the food shelf is growing: during the last two months of 2008, 29 percent more people were served by the Neighborhood House Food Shelf than the year before. There are many people who had never imagined having to use a food shelf but because of a job loss are in need of help. Spectators will be asked to bring a non-perishable donation as the admission to the watch the filming of the show with a goal to raise more than 25,000 pounds of food for Neighborhood House Food Shelf.
 
About the American Red Cross
Governed by volunteers and supported by giving individuals and communities, the American Red Cross is also the single largest supplier of blood products to hospitals throughout the United States. While local hospital needs are always met first, the Red Cross also helps ensure no patient goes without blood no matter where or when they need it. In addition to providing nearly half of the nation’s blood supply, the Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster, trains millions in lifesaving skills, serves as a communication link between U.S. military members and their families, and assists victims of international disasters or conflicts.