By Dawn Fluhler

Two churches bookended the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Bunker Hill build. Oakbrook Community Church and First Church of the Nazarene are both located in Kokomo, Ind.

Oakbrook Community Church, which seats 1,100 people in its auditorium, hosted the kickoff rally prior to the beginning of the week-long build. The church was selected because of its size and location, according to Oakbrook’s First Impressions Coordinator Dea Mygrant.

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By Dawn Fluhler

Hundreds of fans and volunteers gathered in Kokomo’s First Church of the Nazarene Jan. 10 to greet the Cowan-Brown family and one another. They enjoyed 1,500 donated Blondie’s cookies and soft drinks provided by Coca-Cola and the church’s Holy Grounds coffee bar. Groups such as the American Cancer Society and the Be the Match national marrow donor program had information booths and volunteers available.

At 7 p.m., the crowd moved into the church auditorium where Dennis Ashley from D. Ashley Design + Events moderated a program that included: opening remarks, Hallmark Homes highlights, volunteer highlights and testimony, Cowan-Brown family highlights, viewing of the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Bunker Hill episode, Hallmark Homes and Cowan-Brown family responses, an IROK Foundation presentation and closing remarks.

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By Logan Braman

The Cowan-Browns will have another reason to love their new home because of the energy efficient assets included with the house. The home uses a closed loop geothermal system for heating and cooling, a wind spire turbine for electric costs and various energy efficient appliances and options inside the home. Cris Dorman, coordinator for Public Outreach and Education for the Indiana Office of Energy, said the construction was set up so the house would be fairly energy efficient.

The geothermal system, which was installed by Earth Link Geothermal Systems from Ossian, includes six pipes that make up the closed loop system. The 400-foot pipes, which were buried six feet underground, are filled with liquid that absorbs heat from the ground so it can be transferred to the house for heating during the winter. In the summer, the pipes carry heat from the home and transfer it back into the ground. Doorman said the system should have a noticeable impact on heating and cooling costs.

“That closed loop should help offset the heating and cooling cost anywhere between 50 and 75 percent, “ Doorman said. “It looks like [the home] will have a gas fireplace, which will also help offset some of the heating costs.”

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By Dawn Fluhler

Many have asked what will happen in the long-term for the family who has ongoing medical bills, and now a bigger home to maintain. Though the new home came at no cost to the family, utilities and home maintenance were not included.

Fortunately, the community, sponsors and builder planned ahead to help the family.

A charity auction during build week raised more than $18,000 for the family to use toward home and medical expenses. Dr. Tavel Optical Group donated 15 years of eye care to the family. This is a significant contribution, valued at more than $30,000. And Ball State University awarded four-year, full-tuition scholarships to each of the four Cowan-Brown children. At today’s tuition rate, these scholarships have a total value near $120,000.

As for the home, Hallmark Homes home has included its standard warranty on the Cowan-Brown home. This includes a 2-year workmanship warranty and a 10-year structural warranty covering anything normally covered under the RWC National Warranty Guidelines. Hallmark will perform a 30-day, 11-month and 23-month walk-through with the family.

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By Logan Braman

In today’s economic situation, giving back to the community might seem like the last concern on the minds of CEOs and presidents of companies nationwide. That’s not the case for Schneider Electric, a $45 billion global company with ties to Indiana through the Square D factory in Peru.

Amy Huntington, president of Schneider Electric U.S., flew to Indiana to visit the build site before the Cowan-Brown’s new home was complete. She said Schneider Electric’s involvement with the build was a way for the company to give back.

“Giving back to the community is a big part of our philosophy and our culture,” she said. “It’s been exciting for us to see so many of our employees from the Peru plant come out and lend a hand.”

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We are happy to present a second set of photographs provided to us by Janel Bantz Photography.

More pictures are available after the jump. And for more information on Janel Bantz Photography, go to http://www.janelbantz.com

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By Logan Braman

Paul Schwinghammer, president of Hallmark Homes Inc., was an integral part of the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” build. If you were on the site during the week the house was torn down and rebuilt from the ground up, you were sure to run into Schwinghammer. Schwinghammer said most of his time on the site was spent helping people by answering questions and solving problems when they came up. He was also responsible for making sure people were where they needed to be so the build would get done. All in all, Schwinghammer sums up the project in one sentence.

“[The project was] an intense month of preparation culminating to a fast paced, highly coordinated effort by hundreds during the week of the build,” he said.

The project also endured long days, because Schwinghammer still had the same responsibilities for Hallmark Homes as he does on any other week. The build did help in one aspect that one wouldn’t expect: family.

“It brought us closer together in working toward the common goal both before and during the project,” Schwinghammer said about the effects of the project on his family.

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Many photographers were on site outside of the Hallmark media crew. Janel Bantz photography has donated several great shots to us to use on the blog.

More pictures are available after the jump. And for more information on Janel Bantz Photography, go to http://www.janelbantz.com

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By Dawn Fluhler

Six weeks after the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” reveal, the Wilder family is settling back into pre-build life – almost. It isn’t over quite yet. They’re still looking forward to the episode airing sometime in January.

Hallmark Homes CEO Derek Wilder and his wife, Jennie, have three teenage children: Kylene, Courtney and Connor. The entire Wilder family was involved in the Cowan-Brown house build.

Kylene, an Anderson University sophomore, was on site all week in between classes. She carried a phone and a walkie talkie, drove a Gator and helped her dad with whatever she could.

“She did whatever anybody asked her to do,” Jennie said.

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By Rhett Umphress

Anyone who came to volunteer at the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” build likely met Anita Knepp. Knepp was the volunteer coordinator at the build. She would check in both skilled and non-skilled participants as they came through the volunteer tent for each day of the build.

Knepp is a sales manager at Hallmark Homes. She became the volunteer coordinator when she was asked to do lead that effort by the producers from ABC.

Along with finding volunteers for some of the non-build tasks, Knepp also traveled the site performing miscellaneous activities. She would make sure that trash dumpsters were empty, make sure that everyone had the proper apparel and badges, and just fill in where she was need, she said.

And what the hardest part of the build?

“Lack of sleep,” she said with a chuckle.

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