A few hundred feet away from the Lutz home, on the corner of Ringneck and Partridge Lanes, pounding hammers can be heard in a frenzy of thuds. But this isn’t another home makeover. Instead, they’re building different houses. This is the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Kids Tent, where pint-sized volunteers are assembling and decorating bird houses with the help of some Eagle Scouts and painting a mural that will welcome the Lutzes when they return to their new home.
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Splashes of Hope is working with the kids on a number of projects inside the tent. One, which features the logos of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Alure Home Improvements is a backdrop for a fundraiser being held tonight to benefit the Lutz family. Two others feature all the names of the children who have visited the site, and messages of hope and encouragement for the family.
“A lot of the kids want to help with the build but were too young,” says Splashes of Hope Founder Heather Buggée, as she works to complete the mural in time for tonight’s fundraiser. “This they gave them opportunity to help out. They’ve been really enthusiastic.”
Kelly Primack, 17, of Plainview is one of the aspiring artists who have helped with the murals. “This is on my bucket list–I enjoy every second of it,” said the soon-to-be senior at Winston Prep. “I can use my talent to help people, and thats really special.”
Splashes of Hope will also paint two rooms of the interior of the Lutz home starting at midnight tonight, and also have a project with Ty Pennington’s “special room”. The artists also hand-painted hard hats, which will be auctioned off to raise money for the Lutzes.