OCEAN CITY – On Tuesday afternoon, the site of the latest project from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was receiving its final touches as builders, designers, and volunteers prepared for the Johnson-Goslee family to arrive at their new home.
A few hours before the family arrived, workers were busy laying sod, placing furniture, moving in appliances, sweeping the driveway and street and cleaning to make sure everything was just right for the big reveal.
It all started with a knock on the door on Sept. 28, at 11:30 a.m. when the ABC show’s cast, Ty Pennington, Paige Hemmis, Michael Moloney, Ed Sanders and John Littlefield, announced to the family it was chosen to receive a new home.
The family of four, Patrice, and her two children, Wyzir and Renee, as well as her sister Sonora, were all shocked to see the cast standing before them.
Last Christmas Eve, Wyzir, 16, was severely injured when his jacket got caught in a miter saw while making repairs to his home. The accident resulted in his arm being removed.
For the first time in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition history, Wyzir was able to stay on site to help with demolition and design aspects of his new home, while the rest of the family was sent on vacation to Santa Barbara, Calif., where he met them a few days later.
The family returned on Tuesday at about 5 p.m. where about 1,500 spectators stood cheering on their arrival and patiently waiting to yell, “Move that Bus” as the family would take in the sight of their new home for the first time. As their home was revealed, Wyzir didn’t know what to do with himself as emotions overwhelmed him and his family.
The house is roughly 2,700 square feet and has been rated by the national Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as Emerald Certified, which is the highest eco-friendly home possible. The home’s energy is completely run by solar panels, and has been charted to be energy positive, or generating enough energy to supply the home and kick back additional energy into the grid to supply the community.
There were seven different community projects going on at the same time as the Johnson-Goslee build. The home builders, The Fusion Companies, contacted Flexera, who donated 10 solar panels to the family’s church to help offset the costs of utilities.
Other community projects included a new tool shed and car port at Wyzir’s grandfather’s house, a wheelchair ramp for a handicapped neighbor, a community garden, sitting area and playground, curb appeal work and a total of three porches.
The Fusion Companies is owned by brothers, Wes and Josh Sims, and is based out of Annapolis. Their participation started a few months ago when the brothers volunteered at a build in Virginia Beach where they decided that they wanted to become more involved. About mid-August, they were contacted by ABC letting them know a project was going to place in Mardela Springs, so they had about six weeks to prepare for the Johnson-Goslee family’s new home.
When all was said and done, the brothers received a key to the city of Sharptown by Town Commission President Doug Gosnell.
“This community has been amazing in its support of this build. We hope that everyone in the surrounding area will be able to share this exciting time with us and the family,” Wes Sims said on Monday. “We, along with thousands of contractors and volunteers poured everything we had into this home and we can’t wait to share it with the Johnson-Goslee family”.
On top of a new home Wyzhir and Renee Johnson-Goslee were both informed by Salisbury University President Dr. Janet Dudley-Eshbach that they would both be receiving full scholarships to attend the university.
The show featuring the Johnson-Goslee family and their new home is scheduled to air on Dec. 9.