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Last week I got a phone call...one of those calls you kind of have to pinch yourself and ask if it's happening.
The show Extreme Makeovers Home Edition is in Texas helping a family whose home burned down in the horrible fires that happened there. Being in Texas, they called CarveWright (their home base is there) to see if they might want to lend a hand. When the producers told CarveWright what they wanted to do- they said "Oh, man! You gotta see what this guy in Illinois is doing with our machine. I bet he'd help out..." As it happens, the father and two twin boys are huge Star Wars fans. The father had collected Star Wars stuff since he was a kid...all lost in the fire. They told me that the plan is to do a Star Wars room for the family and asked if I could come up with anything that I could make and send in just a few days.
I agreed to help and even told them what I thought I could make and send. A fast call to my local Azek pvc distributor (Parksite) scored a donated 3/4" thick sheet 4' x 8' long. From the beginning, my plan was ambitious. It included 6 items, while they were expecting much less. Even one was an undertaking in the time frame, but I just felt it was something I couldn't pass up...a chance to help a family of sci-fi nuts like me, a chance to make Star Wars stuff with a blessing from Lucasfilm, and a chance to participate in a tv show my daughter loves to watch. I couldn't do it small!
I had to invent a way to do a couple of the projects and pushed myself to try new things along the way. It was only 3 days, but it felt like 2 weeks.
The last push was an all-nighter, but it was worth it. I completed everything, boxed it up and sent it off to Texas. The reveal is tomorrow, and I hope more than anything those 2 boys like what I did.
Once the show airs, I can share pictures and talk more about what I did and how I did it.
Being part of it was an early Christmas gift for me and I couldn't be more thankful. I find it fitting for this family that the original film's subtitle is "A New Hope".
-------------------- Doug Haffner Haffner Signs www.haffnersigns.com 309-338-9570 211 W. Williams Wyoming, Il 61491 Posts: 211 | From: Wyoming, Illinois | Registered: May 2010
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-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Very nice-looking forward to the pictures & whole story!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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What a great experience! Thanks for giving of yourself and your talents. I'll just bet that your gift makes a huge impression on the family.
I helped in a very small way when Extreme Makeover did a project here near my town. Those folks are extremely talented and very well organized. And just "nice", too.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6717 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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It appears the show has been cancelled. I keep getting conflicting reports that the episode with my work will either air this Dec. 23...or won't air until next Dec. as a "special".
-------------------- Doug Haffner Haffner Signs www.haffnersigns.com 309-338-9570 211 W. Williams Wyoming, Il 61491 Posts: 211 | From: Wyoming, Illinois | Registered: May 2010
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Glad you got the call and could help Doug. Sorry about the cancelled show.
Will we be able to see your work you sent?
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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