MOORHEAD
Waving signs saying "Congrats Garrett" and "Thank You ABC," Garrett Grommesh's fifth-grade classmates cheered carpenters and other workers Tuesday at the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" site in Moorhead.
The 22 students also gave a shout-out to Garrett, who is in the Bahamas with his parents, Bill and Adair, and sister, Peighton, as the lot at 803 22nd Ave. S., gets a new handicapped-accessible home.
"G A double R E double T!" the students from Ellen Hopkins Elementary yelled, spurred on by teachers.
Meanwhile, three stars of the hit ABC show appealed to Fargo-Moorhead residents to help set a world's record.
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Eduardo Xol, Paige Hemmis and Paul DiMeo want Fargo-Moorhead residents with wheelchairs to meet at 3 p.m. Friday at Miracle Field at Southwest Park in Moorhead.
They'd like to gather at least 250 people in wheelchairs to form the world's largest wheelchair logo. The logo would feature the word "Hope," to represent Hope Inc., a nonprofit run by Bill and Adair Grommesh that provides sports and arts activities for children and young people with limited mobility.
"We're all about hope this week," DiMeo said.
"We need at least 250 to break that world record," Hemmis said.
"No limits this week!" Xol declared.
Meanwhile, not only did work race ahead at the "Extreme Makeover" site, but builders are working on the Grommeshes' former home at a lot on Eighth Avenue North in Moorhead, too.
A drive past the home Tuesday saw plumbers and electricians at the site to hook up services.
Daryl Braham, co-owner of Heritage Homes, the builder for the "Extreme Makeover" project, confirmed the home is being renovated.
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"We're already doing it," he said.
Braham otherwise remained mum on what the plans are for the Grommeshes' former home in relation to the "Extreme Makeover" episode now being filmed.
Brian Hanson, one of the project managers for Heritage Homes, said considerable work was finished overnight Monday into Tuesday morning, with the new basement dug, foundation footings poured and the 10-foot basement walls set into place.
"We're running right on schedule," he said.
During the day, the basement floor was poured, outside walls waterproofed, and nearly all of the trusses laid in.
While the work was not attention-grabbing for spectators, it sets the table for the next, much more visual stage of the build, putting up the home's frame.
Tyrone Leslie, the other Heritage Homes co-owner, said first-floor framing would get under way Tuesday evening, with the second floor framing and roof trusses being done today.
"Right now, we're in perfect flow," Leslie said.
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While Leslie couldn't share specific details of what will be built into the home, he said it will be fully handicapped-accessible.
"Garrison will be able to move around the house at his free will," Leslie said.
Robert Roach and Rachal Thompson, both of Moorhead, were part of a crew of 20 to 30 volunteers that waited in a holding area until they were needed to help the trades people on the south Moorhead site.
Thompson has hung drywall, but she was willing to do "just anything I can do to help them."
"Wherever they need manual labor, I'm available," Roach said.
"This is a worthy cause. To see a family like this get some excellent needed help," he said. "That's what we were put on Earth for, to help other people."
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Online
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To donate money or materials to the project, go to www.extrememakeoverfm.com .
To give to Hope, Inc., go to www.Impactgiveback.org .
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.
