“Exteme Makeover:Home Edition” Final Surprises: $100,000 and some help from Tyler Perry
If you’ve seen one unveiling, you’ve seen ‘em all pretty much—but man, sometimes, they still pluck the heartstrings.
Yesterday, “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” did it’s huge, emotional showing of its latest creation: A new property for the Fishing School, an after-school program, located in Deanwood.
But this revelation included a few other shockers: Two big $50,000 checks for the group’s founder Tom Lewis and director Leo Givs. One was presented by Millicent Williams, President and CEO of the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. The other came from the Wachovia Foundation, of Wachovia Bank.
“I went to the site on Thursday of last week. There was a frame up,” says Williams, reached by phone today. “So to see it completed was pretty amazing.”
Williams says her ten-year-0ld organization has doled out $50,000 to $75,000 checks to the Fishing School before. But they’d applied for grants this year—a competitive process–and didn’t know if they’d receive it. So this was there notification, in effect.
The old school building was a former crackhouse when the founder purchased it, according to Williams. The new building has space enough to house twice as many children as before—but it probably doesn’t have budget quite yet to handle a population of that size.
“As we all know, it takes more than brick and mortar. Their fundraising efforts need to be ramped up significantly,” she says.
Also, a press release about yesterday’s revelry threw in this news about Tyler Perry, who was on set earlier this week, but not around for the big unveiling:
Actor/Producer Tyler Perry, who was in D.C. with “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” as celebrity volunteer, was so moved by Mr. Lewis and mission of The Fishing School he announced that he was personally forming a foundation to support the school.
8:48 am
wow yall soo awsome i wanna meet you guys so bad get back at me please
5:09 pm
Hi….My name is Bernadette Walker,and I reside in Atalnta, Georgia.I write this request in the deepest interest of my local VFW 4706 Building, that is in desperate need of an extreme make-over. This local chapter, I speak of housed and care for the many unforgottenable ” Veterans ” that has place their lives on the line for America, not to mention the caring hands that reach out across the schools thoughout, and communities from within, yet the building itself stands, on the foundation that crumbles from just the support of the few the proud the un-notice. My son who is now serving his second tour stationed in Afghanistan, would be proud to know that he and his battle buddies along with the many thousands of soldiers, could come home to a re-built VFW, that welcomes them. The ” Commander ” in charge is newly elect Mr. Mike Sauls, who works effortless to keep the glue from falling apart, and he doesn’t know that I have written this reply, but I would give my right arm to see this miracle come to past. The building really needs attention paid to immediately. Should this request fall on the eyes of a concern citizen, that isn’t shame to join ranks with me, I myself would be indebted to whom as well.I look forward to your reply and, May God Bless America, the land of the free.
12:10 pm
Gratulation…..you are fantastic man….
8:37 pm
I would like to receive more information on the types of activities provided by the Hyattsville family. I am interested in establishing a similar program.