Two blocks from where my son lives in Gainesville, Florida, is the location of an Extreme Homes Makeover, designed and built for the popular ABC television show.
The makeover was orchestrated in December of 2009 for the Wagstaff family including four children between the ages of 4 and 7. The family was selected for the makeover because of their community service of providing music lessons to those who otherwise could not afford them. Tobin and Jill Wagstaff run a nonprofit music school out of their home called Studio Percussion Inc. The school serves more than 200 students, half of whom receive financial aid or full scholarships.
The school specializes in the use of drums and other percussion instruments to inspire students toward community development and involvement. The main studio also doubled as a bedroom for two of the Wagstaff children.
The school can only afford to pay Tobin Wagstaff, so Jill works as a part-time preschool teacher at First United Methodist Church.
The couple met while attending the University of Florida. Tobin majored in music and was in the UF marching band. Jill majored in history and minored in dance.
After graduating, they settled in Gainesville and started a family. Jill Wagstaff noticed the impact music made on her life and the lives of her friends and family and persuaded her husband to start the music school.
The couple's devotion to the arts, the community and their four children left them with little time to tend to their home. The floors and the roof were rotting, and the electrical system throughout the house was faulty.
That's why the "Extreme Makeover" team, with the help of Ark Remodeling, worked around the clock to build them a new, more livable home that will allow the family to continue to operate their music school.
Longtime neighbor Rodney Rogers said it couldn't have happened to a better family.
This was the 178th house sponsored by the Extreme Makeover team,using local volunteer help.
Allison, nice story, nice word, good picture. However I don't understand the signiificance of the big chains with the hooks. I would find them a bit scary walking up the path to the house !
I enjoy that show. I think it is so neat what they do, and you always hope that with that kind of help, their lives are changed forever, for the good. You never really hear about them again to see how they are doing now. Nice to know the assistance helped in this case.
