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Minnetonka's 'Makeover'
Tonight's the big night for Swenson family, whose story and house will be featured on ABC-TV.
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Share on Digg'MAKEOVER' AIRS TONIGHT ON ABC
Watch on television as the Swenson-Lee family's home takes shape.
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., today .
Where: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC-TV.
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One more little touch was needed to truly make Vicki and Erik Swenson's Minnetonka makeover truly a home. On Saturday, a 10-foot balsam fir was planted in the still-soft earth at the edge of the Swenson's back yard, just across the volleyball net from the 5,600-square-foot home constructed for them in August, courtesy of ABC's popular TV show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
The planting, complete with ceremonial shovels, relatives, kids, representatives from the homebuilder (TJB Homes of Blaine), a couple of politicians -- U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and state Sen. Terri Bonoff -- was a memorial to Vicki Swenson's late sister, Teri Lee.
Lee, along with her boyfriend, Tim Hawkinson, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in September, 2006. The Swensons, teachers at Hopkins High School, were nominated for the home makeover by their students after the family took in Lee's four orphaned children to live with them and their own three (now four) children.
The house, built with the assistance of thousands of volunteers, went up in place of their old one in 99 hours, and is valued at $1.2 million. Most important, there is now plenty of room for the 10-member Swenson-Lee family.
"It's great, it's the perfect amount of space," Vicki said. 'It's sort of starting to sink in a little bit. This is really ours. It's starting to feel like home."
There's one more big thing to do. Today, the blended Swenson-Lee family will watch the airing of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" at Bella Restaurant, in Blaine. Because the crowd joining them is expected to be between 600 and 800 well-wishers and volunteers, the viewing/party will spill over into another nearby restaurant, Major's Sports Cafe.
But the absence of a big crowd Saturday didn't detract from the importance of the tree planting ceremony.
"The kids were so funny," Vicki said. "They said, 'Why are you planting a tree?' I said, 'First thing is, it's good for the environment. The second thing is that when you plant a tree and dedicate it to someone, it becomes a very special thing.'"
Norman Draper • 612-673-4547
Norman Draper • ndraper@startribune.com
