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On Oct. 12, David Stapleton got the call from ABC that the network wanted his company to build a home for free for a Buffalo family.
On Nov. 7, crews from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” were in Western New York to make a bit of local history.
Through the efforts of Stapleton, show staffers and a record number of volunteer crewmen and citizens, history was indeed made. The results of their work — the centerpiece of which was an environmentally friendly home that was erected in 99 hours — will be on display tonight when the reality show airs.
Stapleton, a North Tonawanda native who graduated from North Tonawanda High School in 1983, received the call from ABC on Columbus Day asking him to donate his company’s time and resources to build a home for “Extreme Makeover.” Catch one was that work would start within a month, and that Stapleton would have to organize all the subcontractors and recruit other volunteers. Catch two was that the work had to wrap up within about a week of commencing.
“At first, I wasn’t sure what we were going to do, if it was even possible,” said Stapleton, a former Tonawanda News carrier who took time to critique the paper’s Sound Off feature during a recent interview in his Amherst office. “But it was my opportunity to make Buffalo shine on a national spotlight.”
If the reaction of Eduardo Xol, one of the series’ designers, is any indication, Western New York downright sparkled.
“I was blown away by the community’s support,” the six-season “Extreme Makeover” veteran said during a recent phone interview from Los Angeles. “I think this is going to go down as one of the top three experiences I’ve had on the show.”
In its seventh season, “Extreme Makeover” visits a different city each week to renovate the home of a deserving family. Many of the selected families have experienced some sort of hardship, such as a natural disaster destroying the home or a family member becoming gravely ill. The series has retained around 10 million viewers per original episode during its seven-season run. The seventh season has featured celebrity volunteers who help out with the project; tonight’s episode will feature singer Ashanti.
The home that was selected belongs to Delores Powell, a Jamaican immigrant who moved to Buffalo from Detroit in 2002 in pursuit of an affordable home. She was sold a West Side house that, while big enough for her and her four children, was condemned by the city for its state of disrepair. The city had granted her leniency on having it torn down, but after five years of work on the structure it still wasn’t declared livable by the city.
“Seeing this woman who came here inspired to work for her family ... it’s the kind of story we need to keep hearing because we’ve had such a hard time in this country,” said Xol, whose mother came to the United States from Mexico before he was born. “We start to take for granted how good we do have it, despite the challenges we’ve faced lately.”
More than 6,500 volunteers were ultimately recruited to take part in the project, an “Extreme Makeover” record. In addition to thousands of area residents, numerous subcontractors were recruited to donate to the cause.
The emphasis, Stapleton said, is on “donate.”
“The show pays for nothing,” he said, holding his hand in the air so that his thumb and forefinger formed a 0.
Once the project began, volunteers felt like more could be done.
“Then it became, ‘How do we help the neighborhood?’ ” Stapleton said.
Volunteers ended up painting numerous adjacent homes, repairing front porches, installing exterior lighting, siding and roofing, cleaning up yards, performing landscaping work and creating a playground and community garden. In addition, more than 90 tons of food were collected during a concurrent food drive, also an “Extreme Makeover” record.
Xol was originally charged with creating one of the bedrooms in the new home and for landscaping the yard, but the day he got to Western New York he learned that he’d also be in charge of designing the park. Having so many volunteers on hand was a big help, he said, and ABC officials took notice.
“When we got there, we planned for a one-hour show,” he said. “Then we saw what was going on, and the executive producer ... told ABC, ‘You won’t believe what’s happening here. We need to make this two hours.’ And they did, which has only happened a few times prior.”
The extra work didn’t leave Xol and his co-workers much time to see the area. He did, however get to sample some local chicken wings (which he praised), and the cast and crew spent one evening sharing drinks with some members of the Buffalo Bills.
Stapleton, likewise, was busier than expected during that week. In speaking to him, though, one can easily glean from the brightness of his eyes and the animation of his speech that the pride he takes in the project far outweighs any cost, tangible or otherwise. The work was completed ahead of deadline, and the home was the first in the state to achieve an “Emerald Level” green rating, the highest environmentally friendly rating possible. He’s quick, however, to give credit to everyone who helped out.
“This was our time to step up,” he said. “I say we have the best workforce in the nation in Western New York, and this proves it.”
David Homes will host a viewing party for the show tonight, while some of the volunteer groups that were involved in the project will host a separate one; both events are free. Whether local viewers watch the show at one of these parties or at home, Xol feels that those watchers will be able to bask in the positive light shined upon the area.
“It was a huge change. That’s the kind of change that our show’s about at this point,” he said of the reconstruction project. “If we all come together and help each other out, we can make a change.”
Contact Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.
IF YOU WATCH
• WHAT: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” featuring the Powell family of Buffalo
• WHEN: 8 p.m. Jan. 24
• CHANNEL: WBKW (Channel 7)
• MORE INFORMATION: Visit abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition or eduardoxol.com
IF YOU GO
• WHAT: “Extreme Makeover” viewing party hosted by David Homes
• WHEN: 7 p.m. Jan. 24
• WHERE: Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, 153 Franklin St., Buffalo
• MORE INFORMATION: Call 855-5555 or visit buffaloconvention.com
•••
• WHAT: “Extreme Makeover” viewing party hosted by Buffalo Re-Use, Re-Tree Buffalo, P.U.S.H. and WNY Americorps
• WHEN: 7 p.m. Jan. 24
• WHERE: Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo
• MORE INFORMATION: Visit sheas.org
