Monday

NASCAR Star Jeff Gordon on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Filed under Press Releases, Sprint Cup Series

“EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION” REBUILDS THE HOME OF A YOUNG WOMAN WHO OVERCAME YEARS OF ADVERSITY TO TURN HER LIFE AROUND

AND ADOPT HER SIBLINGS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED

Jeff Gordon Volunteers for “Get On the Bus” Campaign

On January 11, 2010, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” traveled to Loris, South Carolina – with race car driver Jeff Gordon as the celebrity volunteer — to meet Amanda and Derrick Suggs, a young couple who had just started their own family when they adopted Amanda’s younger siblings to prevent them from being separated in foster care. When Derrick and Amanda got married, they moved into the home Derrick inherited from his grandfather. Built by his grandfather in 1953, the home came with a long list of repairs required to make it livable: a leaking roof, outdated and exposed electrical wiring, rotting foundation, and broken and cracked asbestos siding on the outside of the house.  In just seven days, “EM:HE” will build a safer, stronger home that will protect and support this incredible family.  This episode will air in April (date tba) on ABC.

At a very young age, Amanda was forced to take on the role of a mother figure for her siblings. The children were often left alone for extended periods of time and because the family moved so often, the kids were frequently out of school. Between missing school and caring for her siblings, Amanda fell so far behind that she dropped out of school after the seventh grade. At 16, Amanda reached out to her aunt for help and she agreed to take care of Amanda and the two oldest boys. Living with her aunt helped Amanda get her life back on track and within three months, she received her GED and began community college classes.  When she turned 18, Amanda moved to Myrtle Beach to continue her college education. When she met Derrick, they instantly fell in love, were married, and soon welcomed their first born, Walker.  Shortly thereafter, Amanda’s brother Jacob informed her that he and his younger brothers were being taken away from their parents and placed in foster care.  Without hesitation, Derrick and Amanda brought the boys to live with them. James, Jacob, and Jordan had nothing but the clothes on their backs when they arrived, but with the love and support of Amanda and Derrick, they caught up with their academics and are all on pace to graduate on time.

Derrick enjoys playing the role of father, big brother, and friend to the boys, but he is much more than just a dedicated father and husband. Derrick has gone above and beyond to improve the image of the police department and revitalize the relationship between the police and the community. He created a community outreach team within his police squad to help clean up the high crime areas of his district and also set up various youth activities such as “Shop with a Cop,” which takes underprivileged youth out to buy toys and clothes. Last year, Derrick and his partner saved the life of an infant who had stopped breathing while his mother was driving down the highway and were nominated for “Officers of the Year.” Derrick, 28, and Amanda, 26, have given every bit of themselves to their children (James, 19, Jacob, 17, Jordan, 10, Walker, 5, and Mason, 9 months) and their community, but they still lack the time and money required to fix their home.

The Suggs family will go on a Walt Disney World vacation while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Ed Sanders, Paige Hemmis, and John Littlefield, race car champion Jeff Gordon, and community volunteers rebuild their home.