Mayor Wetherington honors ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ project leaders

Mayor Jim Wetherington honored leaders from the locally filmed “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” project for their impact on the community on Thursday.

Wetherington praised those involved in the Pine Mountain Valley project for changing lives locally and nationally, as well as raising awareness of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“We live in a great city, but we know that there’s people that need our help and need compassion along the way,” Wetherington said while presenting the award on behalf of the Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities.

Dan Goodin, vice president of sales and marketing for Virginia-based Nationwide Custom Homes, accepted the honor at the Disabilities Day and Mayor’s Awards ceremony at the Columbus Government Center.

Nationwide Custom Homes and its parent company, Texas-based Palm Harbor Homes, led the effort to give the Williams family a new 4,000-square-foot home in Pine Mountain Valley.

The episode aired on Sunday as the ABC show’s season finale.

In an interview after Thursday’s ceremony, Goodin said this visit was a little different from when he worked on the “Extreme Makeover” site in February.

“I’m getting more sleep this time,” he said.

The Williams family includes Jeremy and Jennifer, as well as children Josie and Jacob.

Jeremy Williams, the Greenville High School football coach, has ALS. The terminal condition affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Jacob Williams, 7, has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair.

The awards ceremony included multiple honorees from the community.

Some people associated with the “Extreme Makeover” project were in the audience, including a representative from B&W Handicap Equipment, the Fayetteville, Ga.-based company that will help modify the Williams family’s new van.

Goodin said the experience had an effect that extends beyond the boundaries of a one-hour TV show.

“It changed the culture within our company,” he said.

Sonya Sorich, 706-571-8516

This story was originally published May 21, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Mayor Wetherington honors ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ project leaders."