Hundreds of NEFBA members volunteered during “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”. When the ABC-TV crew came to town earlier this year to rebuild a home in Hastings for the Willie Harvey family, NEFBA members, Builders Care volunteers and staff and community volunteers came together to show the world what happens when our community and our association work together.
While it is impossible to adequately recognize all the effort, time and resources donated to this project, the Northeast Florida Builders Association acknowledged the contributions of three members by naming them Members of the Month in April: Tim Hamby of Renaissance Creative Services, Paul Axtell of Classic American Homes, and Don Wilford of ICI Homes of Jax.
Tim Hamby and Renaissance Creative Services were instrumental in the public relations efforts throughout the project, and they continued to show their support of Builders Care beyond the eye of the camera. When presented with an opportunity to display their talent by designing an ad for a charity to be published in The Florida Times-Union, Hamby selected Builders Care. The attention-getting ad appeared in the Times-Union and has since been reproduced in other publications.
Paul Axtell of Classic American Homes was the on-site coordinator of multiple tasks, from coordinating food for guests and crew to transporting people between work areas. Axtell tirelessly absorbed requests for assistance, information and access to the site.
Wilford and ICI were responsible for the interior finish work after the drywall had been installed in the 4,200-square-foot Harvey home, the focus of the Extreme Makeover project. Coordinating this monumental task required minute-by-minute scheduling and literally absorbed Wilford’s time for days.
“We just could not have completed this project without the dedication and hard work of members like Tim, Paul and Don - and hundreds of others,” said Builders Care Executive Director Bill Wilson. “I have a feeling we’ll be saying ‘thank you’ to many people for a long time to come.”
The “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in Hastings involved more than building a home for the Harveys. In conjunction with the television show, Builders Care provided construction assistance for another 12 homes in the rural community, bringing the Builders Care mission to the forefront in the nationally broadcast show.