Aug. 18, 2011 – (Crawford, N.Y.) – This morning the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” crew traveled to Crawford, N.Y. to surprise the Korpai family with the announcement that they are the newest deserving family to get a total home makeover.
High school sweethearts Jimmy and Darlene Korpai’s carefully orchestrated future – including a two-story fixer-upper and a family – took a turn five years ago when they were told that their brand new baby girl, Hailey, had a form of dwarfism.
Since then, Hailey’s parents – now president and vice president of the New York Chapter of the Little People of America, which operates from their home – have turned their attention to advocating for their little girl, with goals of erasing ignorance, increasing understanding, and giving families of little people support and help.
Their house, however, is a hindrance to those goals, both for the organization and for Hailey. Jimmy and Darlene, who also have a 1-year-old son Hudson, want Hailey to grow up in a home that will allow her the freedom and independence to do everyday things on her own, like brush her teeth, bake, turn off light switches, etc. To benefit their advocacy efforts, the Korpai home must also be one story and wheelchair-accessible to accommodate little people visitors as well as Hailey.
Thanks to “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Jillian Harris, Ed Sanders and Paul DiMeo, local builders Hearthstone Commercial & Residential Contracting, and an army of local volunteers, this outstanding family will get their wish on Aug. 25 when they hear those famous words, “Move That Bus!”. In the meantime, the Korpai family has been whisked away on a Disney Cruise vacation to the Bahamas.
Hundreds of local volunteers are still needed for a wide range of positions, particularly carpenters, cabinet makers, equipment operators, fireplace installers, and deck installers. Construction is ongoing 24 hours per day from start to finish, so volunteers 18 and over are needed for all shifts. Visit www.hearthstonecontracting.com for more information.
Beginning Saturday, Aug. 20, spectators are welcome daily on the site. Volunteers and spectators are asked to park at the Circleville Middle School, 1951 New York 302, Circleville, NY 10919.
Media is welcome onsite for the duration of the project. VIP/Media Parking is located at the Quickway Diner, 68 RT 17K, Bloomingburg, NY 12721. REGISTER AT www.joinextreme.com under Media Registration, if you wish to be credentialed to be onsite during the week of construction. A media tent will available from 9am-5pm daily for credentialed media throughout the build. The builders and certain network talent will be available for pre-arranged interviews and will accommodate impromptu, on-site interviews as their schedules allow. To schedule or to request more information, please phone or email the contacts listed above.
MEDIA DETAILS
Media are welcome onsite for the duration of the project! However, specific procedures are in place to assist you with gathering the most relevant information and to help the construct/design teams focus on the task at hand.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ACCESS TO THE BUILD SITE, Register at www.joinextreme.com/newyork under Media Registration if you wish to be credentialed to be onsite during the week of construction. All times and schedules are approximate and subject to change without notice due to the nature of construction and television production.
WHERE: 99 Petticoat Lane, Crawford, NY 12721
PARKING/CHECK-IN:
VIP/Media Parking and Check-In:
Quickway Diner
68 RT 17K
Bloomingburg, NY 12721
Volunteer and Spectator Parking:
Circleville Middle School
1951 New York 302
Circleville, NY 10919
WHEN: Thursday, August 18:
1:00pm Brief media opportunity with family
2:00pm Volunteer march featuring Hearthstone owners and 150 members of build team and volunteers
Friday, August 19:
Demo day and construction begins.
9:00am Site is open to the public, spectators welcome
“Futuristic” demolition begins
Afternoon Construction begins
Saturday, August 20 & Sunday August 21:
The house is literally built before spectators’ eyes, with foundation, framing, roofing all complete during this period.
Monday, August 22 – Wednesday, August 24:
Remaining construction, landscape, interior finishing work and furnishings.
Thursday, August 25:
The family returns and the new house is revealed. Thousands of spectators join the build team to MOVE THAT BUS
Friday, August 26:
Press conference to be held in the morning with the family and local supporters. Details to follow.
MEDIA ACCESS & IMPORTANT DETAILS:
- Media badges will be distributed at check-in and must be clearly displayed at all times. To obtain a media credential (badge), all media must visit the clearly marked media tent. At the tent, each media representative will need to show station/publication credentials and photo identification.
- All media are required to stay in the media tent for their coverage, unless other arrangements are made in advance for escort. Unfortunately, we cannot allow media to be part of construction, volunteer, or walk into the house during the build or until after the airdate.
- Wireless mics are prohibited on site.
- Media, volunteers and subcontractors must wear closed toe shoes at all times as a safety precaution.
- We hope to be able to provide power and WIFI access, but this has not yet been confirmed. Food and water will not be available for spectators or press on-site. We suggest journalists bring their own supplies if they plan to be on-site for long periods of time.
Updates:
Daily releases will be distributed on-site in the media tent and via email, and will be posted on the Hearthstone website at www.hearthstonecontracting.com. If you would like to ensure that you are on the email list, please make a request at the media tent.
Interviews:
Interviews with the builders, designers, project managers, and donors/sponsors are an excellent way to supplement stories with visuals and human-interest angles. Interviews can be scheduled through the duration of the project. Interviews with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition talent are not guaranteed due to the demands of the construction and production schedules, but we will try to accommodate your requests. All interviews must be scheduled through the media contacts (listed below). Attempts to interview on-site without permission will result in loss of access to the site.
Watch your daily updates for significant contributions by cooperating members of the community.
Photography:
Please contact us IN ADVANCE to make arrangements for LIVE shots and satellite trucks on site. Please come to the media tent for instructions and other special requests.
Directions from parking:
Parking location will be provided with the Thursday Press Announcement. Shuttles will transport you between parking and the site which is a few miles away, so please leave ample time.
