Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Larry Cupp has always told his wife if the Extreme Makeover Home Edition comes to town to build a house, he would volunteer. Last year he got his chance, helping build a home in West Chester, and this year he worked on another one for the Terpenning family in Beavercreek.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," he explains. "My family and I watch the show every weekend." Cupp serves as a network administrator with KHN. He admits - as he grows older - he's more aware of how lucky he and his family have been, and that motivates him to reach out and help others in need of support.

About 95 percent of the cost of building an Extreme Makeover home is donated by local builders, contractors and other vendors. Volunteers - working in conjunction with the show's production staff and design specialists - provide enough blood, sweat and tears to build a house from the ground up in about a week's time.

Dan Madzia, an internet/intranet administrator and developer with the Information Systems Department, worked with Cupp last year in West Chester. They both say it's easy to get hooked on the excitement and satisfaction the experience brings.

"I always watch the show and check online to see where they're headed next," says Madzia. "It's neat to see how the whole show works. It's very well organized and pre-planned."

Cupp, Madzia and Katie Howard, a physical therapy assistant with KMC were three of about 1,500 volunteers that worked in Beavercreek to give the Terpenning's a new home.

Howard says the days are long but the payoff is huge. She spent three days at the home site, including one 12-hour stretch.

"I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time but my schedule prevents it; I work most weekends. Then this came up and it was during the week," she says, adding her husband joined her on the site.

She spent time helping contractors move supplies, then worked in what is called the 'art tent.' It's there that the shows interior designers handle special projects that appeal to the individual personalities and interests of the family members.

"I helped make a trophy case for one of the boys. We also built a garden box out of wood from the old house for the mom."

James and Shannon Terpenning have four of their own children and also care for the James' brother who has cerebral palsy. James has been in a wheelchair since he suffered a childhood bout with polio.

Since Cupp and Madzia had experience with the show's locations crew in 2008, they signed up to be part of the same group this year. Their job was to install barriers and perform other tasks to ensure the area was safe for the crowd.

While in West Chester, Madzia slept in his RV onsite for the entire week. This year he also slept a few nights at the Beavercreek location, but there's not much time to rest. "Once they start the count down it's non-stop 24 hours a day."

The show is slated to air on November 8th. The shows producers were impressed not only with the area's willingness to donate time and materials, but with the turnout of people who attended the show's now-famous 'Move that Bus' moment. "This is the the biggest crowd we've seen in a while," the show's executive producer told the Dayton Daily News.

The show travels to a new city each week. If Extreme Makeover Home Edition ever comes this way again, its crew can count on Cupp, Madzia and Howard to show up and help.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," says Howard.

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