6:57 a.m. November 26, 2012
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to feature the Watson Family tonight on primetime
By Jeaneane Payne

With a special two-hour Thanksgiving-themed episode, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will return to ABC tonight as they feature the Watson family from Knoxville. The Restoration House episode will air Monday, Nov. 26, at 9 p.m. on the ABC Television Network. The remaining three special episodes will air on the following three Mondays, Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17.

On January 10, 2012, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" surprised Knoxville's Watson family with the door knock that changes lives.

Mandy and Daniel Watson were both raised by single mothers. In 2005 they left their jobs and established The Restoration House of East Tennessee, a non-profit organization that provides single mothers with housing at a local apartment complex as well as the tools needed (mentoring, advocacy) to be confident, self-sufficient, and productive members of their community.

The Watsons' dream is to 'restore' the lives of single mothers and their children in Knoxville where over 5,000 single-mother families live below the poverty line. Their mantra, "It Takes a Village," has helped many single mothers and their children transition to living successful lives both financially and personally. Their home was in such bad shape that it threatened to take them away from their non-profit and imperiled their dreams of expanding the program to help even more single moms.

The build of their new home by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition began on January 10 and continued 24-hours around the clock for about a week until the home was rebuilt.

The "EM:HE" design team with local lead builders Christi and Scott Branscom of Grace Construction and more than 4,000 Extreme Volunteers from throughout the region had just seven days to build a new, larger Restoration House with additional living quarters where they can house two single mother families at a time while the families are going through the The Restoration House program.

Gerdau Construction Products, located in Knoxville, donated materials to construct the home and duplex, including concrete-reinforcing steel, wire mesh, foundation chairs and tie wires.

"Gerdau was honored to be able to help both the Watsons and Restoration House in such a special way," said Gerdau Knoxville Construction Products branch manager Paul Roach. "It was thrilling and inspiring to see the entire Knoxville community come together to make this happen."

The episode features a visit to the "Wipeout" set and an appearance by UFC Champion fighter Jon "Bones" Jones. The Watson family has been whisked away on a dream vacation to Clearwater, Florida while special guest team leader Jenny McCarthy and the EM: HE team of designers Paul DiMeo, Tracy Hutson, John Littlefield and Jillian Harris, along with Grace Construction and community volunteers, build the structure.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which aired for nine seasons on ABC, transformed the lives of thousands of deserving families and galvanized communities and businesses to help their neighbors in need. "EM:HE" also put a spotlight on causes that touched these families, ranging from the treatment of serious illnesses or accident victims and the importance of foster care & adoption, to helping veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress and the plight of the homeless, to campaigning against texting while driving and building coalitions to end bullying. The series won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Reality Program, received six Emmy nominations, won two People's Choice Awards and an NAACP Image Award, in addition to other honors.

Published November 26, 2012