Sun Gazette March 22, 2007
By Jared Hoffmann

Built by hundreds, viewed by thousands
Spectators gather to watch Jacobo home go up

When word began to spread across the metro early last week that “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” had arrived in the Northland, the normally unassuming neighborhood surrounding the Jacobo family home quickly became an attraction for curious spectators.
Metal barricades lined one side of Spruce Avenue, and observers packed lawns across from the build site. Parents took children out of school, employees from nearby businesses walked over on their lunch breaks and elementary schools used the event for impromptu field trips. Several fans of the show made repeat visits to the site and lounged on cots as they awaited opportunities to solicit autographs from the show’s stars, especially the crowd favorite, Ty Pennington.

A group of area college students even selected the build site as their spring break destination. Park University student Andrew Maurin arrived with the group March 12, the day before the home’s demolition. He and the other students marveled as workers skillfully maneuvered cranes, bulldozers and other machinery around the family’s lot.

“It’s going to be interesting because this is a small area,” Maurin said.

The area was made smaller in subsequent days as increasing numbers of spectators and heavy construction machinery moved into the neighborhood.

Kansas City resident Stephen Johnson, whose family was selected by the show two years ago, attended several days of the build with his children Brandon, Duane, G’na and Ryan. Johnson said the opportunity granted him a unique perspective on the entire process.

“It’s unbelievable that people come out and help this family and helped our family the way they helped us,” Johnson said. “I always tell people if we can take a little bit of that energy and spread that around to all the other communities, imagine what the city would be.”

“From this day on their life is changed,” Johnson said “Changed for the best.”

As the week moved along and the Jacobos’ new home began to take shape, the number of spectators greatly increased.

On March 15, a group of Winnetonka High School students make their way to the build site. Hanna Wiltfong, a senior and classmate to Natalie and Brittany McMahan, said the school’s hallways were filled with talk of the Jacobo family’s new home. She said the school also posted announcements and organized volunteers to help in the process.

“It’s all over our whole school,” Wiltfong said. “It seems like wherever you go somebody’s talking about how the family’s being affected, that they’re getting educational opportunities and stuff, which is motivation for us to help.”