MICHAEL WALTRIP CELEBRATES THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS WITH THE FRIDAY FAMILY OF LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA
CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip and the employees of Michael Waltrip Racing teamed up with ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” builders and designers to surprise a Lincolnton, N.C. family in a holiday-themed episode of the popular home makeover show. Waltrip makes a special appearance in two segments of the episode to air Monday, Dec.17 at 8 p.m. ET. on ABC.
A nine-year veteran of the police department and foster mother to over 30 children, Devonda Friday and her husband James Friday didn’t think twice when they received a call to provide temporary care to a boy who was being transferred to a group home. They had no idea, though, that this call would change their lives. The teenage boy showed the Fridays a video of his siblings and begged them to help keep the five of them together.
Before they knew it, Devonda and James were making room for the five youngsters to join their own two children. When the request was denied because their modest ranch home didn’t have enough room, the Fridays converted their carport into two makeshift bedrooms and sold their van to offset expenses. The adoption was final in 2011, and Monday’s episode will celebrate the spirit of Christmas by giving the Friday family a new spacious home for the holidays.
The show’s design team has just seven days to make this home even more of a haven for the family. The Friday family has been whisked away on a dream vacation to Jamaica, while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Michael Moloney, Jillian Harris, Ed Sanders and Paige Hemmis, local builder Bellamy Homes, as well as well as community volunteers, build the structure.
Waltrip is a two-time Daytona 500 champion and owner of MWR that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. MWR fields Clint Bowyer’s No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota, Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota and the Aaron’s Dream Machine driven by Mark Martin, Brian Vickers and Waltrip. MWR Toyotas won three times, earned five poles and finished second, 11th and 15th in owner points in 2012.
