Bridgeport, Connecticut Family Opens Door to Their 'Extreme' Home - October 14

Bridgeport, Connecticut Family Opens Door to Their 'Extreme' Home - October 14

ABC'S 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' Brown Family Episode to Air Sunday, 8 P.M. (EDT) / 7 P.M. (C)

Community Donations Encouraged for Family Fund

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- In just two weeks, millions of people across America will see the "Brown Episode" on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," scheduled for October 14th airing at 8 p.m., Eastern / 7 p.m. Central time. The one-hour show will feature the efforts of 4,000 local volunteers, led by builders Gulick Associates, LLC of New Canaan, Conn., who built the Brown family a new home in just seven days. The Brown family home is located at 285 Hollister Ave in the East End neighborhood of Bridgeport, Conn.

Each episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" features a race against time involving a team of designers, contractors, and hundreds of volunteers who have just one week to totally demolish and rebuild an entire house - every single room, plus the exterior and landscaping. The Brown family had the design team of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" led by Ty Pennington and designers Michael Moloney, Paige Hemmis, Eduardo Xol, and John Littlefield. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" had its season premiere last night (September 30) on ABC-TV.

The Family

The Brown family home was struck by tragedy not once, but three times. First, a flood devastated their home, and then a fire further destroyed their two-story home. If it were not for the bravery of Gloria's 16-year old son, Fred, who knocked down the door that had his mother trapped, she would not be alive. The fire forced the family to find temporary housing. During that time, their house was repeatedly robbed and stripped of everything of value to them. Despite these tragedies, the family was determined to make their community a better place. Together with her children -- Bobbi, Fred, and Janae, -- the Browns never stopped giving back to the community and continued to run a variety of creative outreach programs in their neighborhood.

"We feel very blessed to have been fortunate enough to be chosen from among so many worthy families," said Gloria Brown. "We know this is a special gift and we will always be grateful to ABC, the Gulicks, and our wonderful community, who changed our lives forever."

The Builders

Builders and brothers Steve and Michael Gulick of Gulick Associates, LLC of New Canaan, Connecticut were chosen to be featured on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Gulick Associates is one of close to 100 builders chosen by the Emmy-winning show to build an "Extreme" home in the United States, to date. The brothers were excited to build the 3,600 square foot house. They oversaw every aspect of the project --- from creating a Web site to getting building materials donated to finding all the quality trades people and dedicated volunteers -- in record time.

"Every person who volunteered for this project put their job, their company, and their personal lives on hold to build Gloria and their kids a beautiful home," said Steve Gulick.

"Once people heard about the project, the community response was overwhelming. Even though we personally did not know most of the volunteers, once they arrived on Hollister Avenue, it was like we were family," added Michael. "We thank each and every company and person who played a role in this once-in-a-lifetime experience."

The Community

Over 4,000 volunteers worked 24 hours a day from July 25 to August 1, 2007 to build the Brown family's new Victorian home. For more information on the project, please visit the "Building the Extreme Dream" Web site at www.gulickassociates.com.

The Brown Family Fund

Gulick Associates also created the "Building A Family's Extreme Dream Fund" to support ongoing expenses associated with the Brown family's new home. Donations may be made online at www.gulickassociates.com.

About "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is entering its fifth season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Denise Cramsey is the executive producer and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol, USA.

Note to Editors: IMPORTANT: Media interested in house tours or interviews, please contact Alice Ferreira at 203-610-1521. Thank you.

Source: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

CONTACT: Media: Alice Ferreira, +1-203-610-1521,
alice.ferreira@healthnet.com; or Caryn Kaufman, +1-646-765-6006,
cskaufman@hotmail.com all for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

---

Profile: International Entertainment