Posted on 05/02/2005 6:27:50 AM PDT by FlJoePa
CLEARWATER - There were cheers and tears Sunday night when James Dolan and his wife, Chrissy, joined an airing party for the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" episode that featured their new house. The Dolans shared the experience with 1,500 people who gathered at Ruth Eckerd Hall, where the two-hour program and an hourlong special produced by WFTS, Channel 28, were shown on a giant screen.
Some chuckled when boxes of tissues were passed out before the show, but it didn't take long for the audience to start sobbing during the emotional show.
"We are a little overwhelmed by all of this," Chrissy Dolan said before the program aired. "The house is wonderful, and we thank every one who helped. We thank you for sharing this night."
The Dolans were presented with a new Buick Rendezvous, a year's supply of groceries from Publix and a check for $100,000 from Lexington Homes, which built their new 4,487-square-foot house on 99th Way North in St. Petersburg.
"You are the real stars tonight," James Dolan told the crowd, which included many Lexington workers and the Dolans' friends.
Dolan, 30, lost his sight after he was wounded Nov. 18 when a gunman went on a shooting spree in a St. Petersburg RadioShack where Dolan worked. Two others, employee Joana Cruz and customer Kenneth Powell, were killed.
The families of Cruz and Powell were given $25,000 each by Wachovia Bank as part of the ABC series.
"Extreme Makeover" selected the Dolans for a home makeover by their design team, headed by Ty Pennington, and Lexington Homes recruited more than 1,500 workers and volunteers for the project.
In March, thousands watched the home go up in just 79 hours.
"Tonight is about celebration and to say, 'Thank you,' to everyone involved," said Craig Gallagher, president of Lexington Homes.
On Sunday, viewers saw inside the $450,000 home with a backyard putting green; textured walls (stone, wood, cloth, bamboo); voice-activated, computer-controlled heating and lighting; and textured floors - all designed to help Jamie Dolan adjust to life without sight.
The Dolan children also got themed rooms: custom puzzle-designs on the walls and ceiling for puzzle-lover Haley, 6; 24 wooden monkeys hanging from the ceiling and 3-D animals on the walls for J.T., 3; and robotic toys for Charlie, 12.
WFTS General Manager Bill Carey said the station received about 300 complaints from basketball fans because the locally produced 6 p.m. program pre-empted the final minutes of a Miami Heat-New Jersey Nets basketball game won by Miami, 110-97.
"It was my call and I decided to go with the home team and cover the Dolans," Carey said.
I'm happy for these people, and I'm happy we could be a part of it.
One of our church members worked on that house, too. His company is the one that put in all the voice recognition controls and home automation stuff in. EM wants them to become a permanent partner with them. Pretty cool. He said he ended up getting about 8 minutes of footage taken of him, but he wasn't on last night. Maybe tonight.
That show is one of the few reasons I even own a tv anymore.
I'm sort of guarded when it comes to this show. THIS episode was special (IMO), and was worthy of the 2 hour timeslot. James Dolan was working 2 jobs (selling insurance and working at Radio Shack) when some nutcase came in the store and shot him in the head. It's also obvious what his family means to him.
There have been other episodes (not many, but a few) where I sort of questioned in my mind the neediness or worthiness of the families involved.
I also question how some of these families pay their taxes. Obviously, the Dolans were taken care of by Lexington Homes, and I remember others being taken care of. But not ALL of them.
I also sort of wonder if some of the other recipients haven't already pawned their LCD televisions and anything else of value they could. I hope not, but I wonder.
thought you might like this!
thanks...I love the show and watch it whenever I can.
BTW, our company is the one that installed the putting green for Mr. Dolan. I hope he and his boy enjoy it as much as we enjoyed being a part of the show.
Stating this reason may get me banned, but if one were assume that this show is an example of what the entire country is like, one would be led to believe that African-American families outnumber Caucasian families by a ratio of 5 to 1.
In fact, thats why I quit watching this program.
Try to watch it without being cynical. It is probably the best show on TV.
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