Grommesh Family Adjusts to a “Better Normal”
At 5:15 Monday, a suburban carrying the Grommesh family pulled into their driveway, which is just days old. The family wasn’t able to stay in the home Sunday evening, but was looking forward to spending the night Monday. A producer for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” unloaded Garrett’s wheelchair from the back of the vehicle and...
Dedicated Spirits Moved That Bus
The committed fans of the Grommesh family lined up starting at 1 a.m. Sunday morning to catch a glimpse of their reaction as they saw their new home for the first time. About 1:45 p.m. the cast walked onto the set and then the crew from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” captured shots of an enthusiastic...
Hurry Up and Wait
A trio of dedicated “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” fans knew they were in for a long wait when they arrived at the site at 1 a.m. Sunday for the big “Move that Bus” moment, that wouldn’t happen until about thirteen hours later. But the college-aged women called it an adventure and came prepared. They brought...
This Is How We Do It
If “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” had any worries about getting enough volunteers to build a house in 106 hours or breaking a world record with wheelchairs, they clearly didn’t know who they were dealing with. Friday afternoon temperatures tapped out in the 80s and the beating sunshine searched for skin without sunscreen. As people drove...
Save, Spend and Give
The temperature hovered near 50 early Friday morning, and just as the sun came up over the new Grommesh home in south Moorhead, two little boys led their mother to the spectator area. Max and John Rogers had been to the site twice this week with their dad and became charmed when they came back...
Extreme Family of Adair
It was hard to miss the bright orange sweatshirts in the crowd on the build site Thursday. In bold black lettering four shirts read “Extreme Sister of Adair” and one pint-sized shirt on an adorable little girl read “Extreme Cousin of Peighton and Garrett.” The sisters are alumni of Moorhead High School and proudly sported...
North Dakota’s “Extreme” Family Visits Moorhead
Four years ago it was Minot’s Bliven family that was on vacation in the Bahamas while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and the community worked on their dream home. “Bill just wanted to be a mouse in the corner,” says Michelle Bliven, but the family wasn’t allowed contact with people back home for fear they would...
Grommesh Family Ties
On Wednesday afternoon, Bill Grommesh’s four brothers and his sister along with nieces and nephews donned blue shirts and watched the progress on he and Adair’s new home. The family gathered near the construction site to share stories, laughs and finish each other’s sentences. They talked about being able to watch Bill, Adair, Peighton and...
Peighton Grommesh: Quiet Leader
When a dozen cameras swirled around the Grommesh family on Sunday, they quickly became celebrities. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” ambushed 11-year-old Peighton Grommesh and her family while they were on the ice at a local arena. Peighton’s eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped as Heritage Homes, friends and family surround the family wearing blue...
Wheeling to Shatter a World Record
For so many people in the F-M area, this week is about helping, building hope and being part of something extreme. If you haven’t gotten to help out so far, don’t worry, there is a specific event that needs hundreds of volunteers. Friday at 3 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will try to set a...
Child Artists Create Colorful Hope
The Piepkorn family jokes that they bleed green and gold, the color of their hometown Bison and the school where dad, Dave, played football. Wednesday afternoon, 13-year-old Will Piepkorn wore his Bison football jersey as his wheelchair tires rolled through yellow paint and onto a large white canvas. The color represents Will’s sports interests, his...
Hammering Out the Experience
A handful of M State carpentry students, fresh from an extreme construction site, loaded their gear and tools into a trailer marked with the college’s logo. Their weary eyes and bright smiles reflected a busy but rewarding day. Twenty-three first and second year students explored their chosen career paths in the highest profile real world...
