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Posted by Joe Pusateri
I just finished shooting 2 hours with the show-reflecting on the past week. It has been so rewarding, so satisfying-it is hard to put into words.
This will be my last post, I have to go back to my real job. Last night from 8-midnight we had a party to celebrate the successful completion. The companies that donated workers or materials were all invited. It was at the Muhammed Ali Museum-which in the spirit of the week-was graciously donated for our event. We had approximately 700 people there-all the designers, producers, except Ty. It would have been nice if he came, but we had a great time without him. At 10:30, about 8 people from the show, the producer, rest of design team and a few others, got on stage and addressed the crowd about the past week, their stay in Louisville, the Hughes family or whatever was on their mind. Everyone there seemed to really enjoy themselves.
We had a press conference at 11:00 this morning and the press got to meet with the Hughes family for the first time. They did not sleep in the house last night, but will tonight for the first time. I am enjoying to get to know them better and I am so happy we were asked to do this project.
There is one person I have not acknowledged in these blogs-my wife Vickie. In the weeks since we were asked to do this, our life together has been turned upside down. My schedule went from 6 AM to 6 PM to 5 AM to 10 PM pretty much 7 days a week. She has been great through this, bringing me food at the office, taking care of all the chores at home-if you are a woman you know what I am talking about. Anyway-Thank you Vickie for supporting me, being there for me, we couldn't have done it without you. I love you!
Kira P says:
Hey Papaw, I'm so proud of you! Love- Kira
Posted last November 15,2007 01:09 pm
Kira P says:
Tell Nana I'm proud of her too! Love- Kira
Posted last November 15,2007 01:10 pm
Stephanie says:
What an amazing week! The party last night was amazing and to see everybody out having a good time after a week of hard work was well worth it. May God Bless all of you who made this happen for a deserving family!
Posted last November 15,2007 01:54 pm
Laura Lynn says:
Thank you Joe for sharing of your time to create these wonderful blogs. You have helped me connect with the project and I am amazed at the emotion the comments and writings have brought out in me.
Welcome Home Hughes family! I am looking forward to the airing of the episode!
God bless you all at Elite, ABC and all the community who have sent well wishes and volunteered for this project!
Louisville ROCKS!
Posted last November 15,2007 01:55 pm
Debbie (Pusateri) Coleman says:
Wow, what a week! I was lucky enough for my company to give me the past week off to help with this community project. I'm couldn't be more proud of my brothers....I have watched them, during all the stress, etc., take whatever time was needed to talk and welcome everyone (VIP's, spectators, and even an elementary school class that collected money). Joe did trivia one night and gave out ball caps for those with the right (or close) answer(s). Thanks for the memories and the opportunity of a lifetime. I love you guys!
Posted last November 15,2007 02:00 pm
Cameron Huges's Friend (A.S.) says:
Wow! Elite home builders and other volenteers did a fantastic job on the Huges' new home! Thanks for making their lives so great!
From: Cameron Huges's friend
Posted last November 15,2007 04:57 pm
Catherine says:
I wasn't able to get out to the site this week, but have followed this website and the TV coverage closely. Thanks for giving us an insider's view through your blog. What a wonderful thing this has been for the city, as well as for the Hughes family. I can't wait to see the show, but meantime hope to take a drive past the house someday soon.
Posted last November 15,2007 05:32 pm
Mike Osbourne A-Team says:
What a week.
First I would like to thank God for allowing me to be involved in such a wonderful project, giving us good weather, and keeping us accident free. Secondly I would like to thank the many trades people and suppliers who gave and gave. You worked long hours, some of you for over 24 hours straight. I can remember the night (about 3 am) we were installing the roof and working on brick. I had to pitch the Wendy's bags to you because you didn't want to stop working. Or the time I told one of our carpenters to take his dad home because he had worked way to many hours, the response was he was working for the Lord. When we needed additional materials you didn't care about the cost, you just asked what we needed and when we wanted it. Some of you were there everyday, only to go home to sleep a few hours before returning.
My mother came a few times. She told me how proud she was of me, I told her there were several hundred proud mothers this week.
The atmosphere around this project was like none I had ever seen. You came to do your trade but you helped other trades do their work as well. Hand shakes followed by hugs were the norm.
We didn't build a house for the Hughes family, we built a home out of love.
Thank you all so much and I hope you have received as much as I have from this experience.
Mike
Posted last November 15,2007 06:13 pm
Rob M says:
I'm sorry you have to get back to the real world. Thanks for including all of Louisville in a week's worth of fun and magic. Watching what everyone did all week was simply amazing. Watching the reveal was simply amazing.
Posted last November 15,2007 06:20 pm
Allison says:
I was able to visit 3 days throughout the project. I was scheduled to volunteer on Saturday, but there was just no room for any more volunteers. You'll did a great job pulling this off. May God bless all that had a hand in this wonderful project.
Posted last November 15,2007 06:20 pm
UNKNOWN WORKER says:
I HAVE READ SOME OF THE ENTRIES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT AND I HAVE POSTED A COUPLE OF MY OWN AND SAY THANKS FOR THE RESPONSES.YOUR WORDS AND PRAYERS WILL NEVER GO UN-NOTICED. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE REAL GUYS BEHIND THE CURTAINS THAT ARE THE REAL MISTROS OF THIS PROJECT. FIRST TO JOE & ROCKY,AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CHRIS GROSSGOPF,AND ROBERT TINDER THE SUPERINTENDANTS. ALSO TO TERRY WRIGHT,MIKE OSBOURNE,REED,ERIC,ANDY,BEN AND TO ALL THE OTHERS THAT IM FORGETTING OR DONT KNOW THEIR NAMES THAT WORK FOR ELITE. WELL I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANKS AGAIN. TO ELITE DONT LOOK FOR ME UNTIL MONDAY I SPENT ALL DAY IN BED YESTURDAY AND WILL SPEND ALL DAY TODAY RECOOPING.SEE YOU MONDAY ERIC . (GET SOME SLEEP) YOU LOOK LIKE ****
SEMPER FI
Posted last November 16,2007 05:56 am
Karen says:
I just wanted to say thanks to Mr. Pusateri for his blog entries. It really helped me to feel connected to the project when I was unable to attend the site. I was there a few times and I think that everytime I was there, Joe came over to talk to the crowd and give an update on the progress. It really made me feel good!!! Thanks to the Extreme Makeover team, ABC, Elite Homes and every other company and the volunteers that gave their time and talents to a WELL deserving family!!!!
Posted last November 16,2007 05:59 am
John says:
Put to the challange, Elite made the impossible,
look easy! I am still overwhelmed by the love and can do spirit of every single person who was part of this project. May we continue to grow from what we were givin from this combination of God talents,put on display.
Posted last November 16,2007 08:01 am
Mary Pusateri says:
One of Elite Homes Superintendents Terry Wright said it all when saying "It was heaven on earth everyone working together outside of themselves." I am so proud of Joe and Rocky, the Elite family and all the volunteers. Love all of you!
Posted last November 16,2007 08:38 am
Kim Smith says:
What an awesome thing this community did for this deserving family! Thanks to everyone involved for their selfless acts of love during the week. Can't wait to see the entire home on TV in Feb.
Posted last November 16,2007 09:11 am
Donna Contreras says:
(volunteer) We worked and worked until we couldnt work no more,the thing was we didnt want to go home.Everyone had put in long hours and still had a big smile on.A lot of love was put in to this.Thats awsome.The Elite team are a great bunch of people Great job.Hats off to everyone.
Posted last November 16,2007 02:20 pm
John H. says:
The Food! The Food! The Food! On behalf of all the workers and volunteers, I want to say thanks to all that organized and provided the massive amounts of food and drink all week. I was so spoiled to always have great food, cold drinks, hot coffee, snacks, cookies, etc at all hours of the day or night. A special thanks to the Elite team and the volunteers to put this together - Teri D., Gip, Dale - a remarkable job. And thanks to my sister Betsy for always having a plate of food for me as soon as I walked in the tent! Check out the list of partners and when you stop by those restaurants be sure to thank them! What generosity! This house could not have been built without you.
Posted last November 16,2007 02:53 pm
Donna Kay says:
(Volunteer) This entire event was a true blessing to our entire community. Thank God we have people like the Pusateri family, the Elite employees, various contractors, businesses, volunteers and Extreme Makeover members who were willing to do whatever it took to "get her done."
I worked with another volunteer (Donna Contreras) and made a friend for life! We became known by many at the site as "the two D's" since we both share the same first name and always worked together. I'd like to take this chance to say hi to everyone we got to meet and work with.
We met several members of the Extreme Makeover team - many of which are in the background providing security or others services people don't usually think about; several members of the Pusateri family and members of the Elite team ... you will never meet anyone more caring, giving and nice. We met tilers, carpenters, roofers, etc. who gave their all for days on end to help make this happen. We met some of the Hughes family, friends and neighbors (several of which shared their porch and friendly conversation with us. THANKS!)
I hope this blog conveys my personal regards and respect to everyone that had anything to do with this Extreme Makeover. You are all Superstars! And, if my comments make it possible for anyone who was not able to volunteer to sense and understand the excitement, goodness and power that could be felt when we all joined together to help the Hughes family then I've done my job.
Posted last November 16,2007 06:29 pm
unknown says:
I live across the street, and I can say this was great. I went out to the site everyday at least 3 times in the day. I saw how it was all put together and it was great. I had to deal with alot of people coming in and out the noise everything but it was all worth it. Elite made it happen in 7 days, the workers are the ones that deserve all the credit they built this home. As I watched this house being built and seeing the good that are left in people was amazing. I felt that the more that I went out to see the site the more I knew my problems are no where near what the Hughes have been through. I lived across the street for 5 years and I never knew that they lived there or seen the home. Wednesday night after the big crowd left, I went back up there and there was maybe only 10 people and the news. When they were done filming inside the house the media wanted to interview the family, the father walked over to the few people that were standing there and has he talked about his son, I did nothing but cry. Just by the way he talked to the crowd you can see in his eyes the relief that he had. I remember hearing him say that they did not deserve this. HUGHES family you deserve this, you guys are a great famliy, you give the meaning of the word family.... May god bless you and your family for many more years to come.
Last thing, again thank you Elite and the workers for making this happen... ABC thank you for selecting this famliy.......
Posted last November 17,2007 06:40 am
Rob says:
Some pictures that I took from the week including the reveal:
http://picasaweb.google.com/crutnacker
And a video of the reveal:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3564625203365151193
Posted last November 17,2007 06:57 am
Dee S. says:
My son is a friend of Cameron’s and he has shown emotion I did not know he had until the Hughes’s were picked for an Extreme Makeover. He told me he got tears in his eyes at the reveal. It was the first time I took him out of school to experience a once in a lifetime event. We received a little disapproval from his school but what he learned that day could never be taught, it has to be experienced. Thank You Extreme Homes Makeover, Thank You Elite Homes. You probably did not know how many lives you would touch that did not pick up a tool.
I would suggest one thing added to the Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition Fact Sheet:
Estimated number of bystander’s lives the show has changed to date? Million’s
Posted last November 23,2007 07:14 am
Theron T-Bone Canevari says:
Joe and Rocky I wanna say what a pleasure it was working with guys and even think Rocky and I had something in Common before we met (friend)It was my honor to work with you guys and thank you for helping me with the field (Dogwood homes) your guys really respect you two and that's what made for a great build I hope you guys are rewarded 10 times over for this build I know in your hearts you already have,I'm looking forward to meeting you guys again Thanks for everything you guys "Rock" Project Manager Extreme Home Makeover
Posted last November 23,2007 03:48 pm
Patrick Hughes says:
To say thank you seems to fall so short in our family's appreciation of what this community has built for us. We want to thank ELITE HOMES (Joe and Rocky) and all their employees and the families of these employees who sacrificed so much of their time and effort for us. Truly amazing.
A big thank you to ABC-TV and Extreme Make Over Home Edition and all their crew both in Louisville and London for making this all possible. You guys are all wonderful.
To all the businesses associated with this process who donated materials, man hours, food, sweat, and I can only imagine what else, thank you all for being a part of this for our family.
Lastly, to all those who volunteered or wanted to volunteer and those who just came out to watch and support everyone on site or couldn't make it out but had us in your thoughts, a huge thank you to you all. To know they had more than enough people to work on this in such a short period of time really shows what a great city this is and how much our family is loved by so many.
Again, thank you everyone. This is truly a blessing on so many levels. It is our hope that you all are blessed greatly as we have been and continue to be.
The Hughes family.
Posted last November 28,2007 12:25 pm
Jenna says:
I am so happy for the Hughes family! I have heard positive AND negative remarks for the Extreme Makeover. But no matter what there will ALWAYS be someone who could have benefited more or whatever some negative opinions may be.
The fact of the matter is that LOUISVILLE came together and helped a Deserving family!
I am SO proud to be a small part of this.
Thank you volunteers, Elite, ABC and anyone who doesn't fall in one of those categories, You should be proud! And most of all.....
WELCOME HOME HUGHES FAMILY, WELCOME HOME!!!!!
Posted last December 6,2007 08:38 pm
Donna Bayers says:
Hi Joe,
I recently met you at the Oldham Chamber Business & biscuits Seminar where you spoke, and wanted to pose something to you. I know how incredibly busy you are, but still wanted to just throw this out there.
I am the Volunteer & Events Coordinator for Apple Patch, serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There is something that a company by the name of 'Life is Good' does with Newland Communities and other builders that benefits charitable organizations. You may already know of it. It is their 'Community Pumpkin-Carving Festivals', and it is done in each of the builder's community developments to not only raise a lot of money for wonderful causes, but to build the feeling of 'community' as well. I am definitely big on this, and I can tell by the person you are that this is very important to you. I wondered if we might be able to work on this for possibly this October? I really don't think you would have to do much...as I said to you when I met you, I don't know how you find the hours in a day to get all you do done! I am building a wealth of volunteers throughout the community, and through area churches, including Northeast Christian and Southeast Christian. I am including the link for you to browse about the festivals, if you would. Thank you so very much, and God bless you!
http://www.lifeisgood.com/festivals/pumpkin-festival/
Donna Bayers, Event and Volunteer Coordinator
Apple Patch Community, Inc.
Promoting a Life of Independence for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
7408 Highway 329
Crestwood, KY 40014
Phone: 502.657.0103
Fax: 502.657.0107
www.applepatch.org
www.touroldhamcounty.com
Help us CELEBRATE the end of Winter!!!
The fun of Key West is coming to Louisville on Saturday, March 8th! Midwest Margaritaville
For tickets, volunteer opportunities, or more information call Donna at 502-657-0103, or email dbayers@applepatch.org.
Posted last February 15,2008 11:05 am
Frank says:
from Texas: 36 minutes into the show. You guys are saints . You guys are heros.
Posted last February 17,2008 06:35 pm
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