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Contact:
Lynda LeVan, Director of External Affairs
phone:423-648-6043 fax:423-267-9344
lhl@cdmfun.org
Creative Discovery Museum is Site for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Surprise
Museum Champion Celebrated
(February 14, 2011) –Guests to Creative Discovery Museum were unknowingly part of a surprise by ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition cast and crew. While enjoying a special Science Theater presentation and a visit to the Museum, the ABC show’s host, Ty Pennington, emerged from among the exhibits to announce that one of the Museum’s extraordinary visitors, 9-year old Patrick Sharrock and his family, will be the recipient of the home makeover.
Because of Patrick’s participation in a variety of Museum programs, the Sharrock family are well known to the staff at Creative Discovery Museum. When Ty Pennington and producers of the show came Sunday to the Museum and surprised the Sharrock’s, the Museum staff were ecstatic for Patrick and his family. “We are delighted to be selected as the location of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition surprise and to assist with this wonderful project. The family is very deserving,” said Henry Schulson, Executive Director of the Museum.
Patrick routinely participates in the Museum’s Home-School Workshops, Science Theater and monthly Free Family Nights. As Patrick’s love for learning and science has grown, so has his connection with the Museum and its staff. “Patrick is an enthusiastic scientist in our home-school Science Club and a vocal, inventive participant in our science shows and special science events,” commented Karen Dewhirst, Museum Experience Manager. “I always look forward to seeing Patrick’s happy face, enjoying his quick wit and incredible intelligence whenever we offer science focused programming at the Museum” continues Dewhirst. “His delightful sense of humor and innate curiosity has made him a friend of his classmates, teachers and the entire Museum staff.”
Patrick battles challenges with Brittle Bone Disease, and not only does he tenaciously rise above those challenges, but he generously shares his positive spirit with the Museum and others served by its programs and exhibits. Dewhirst recounts an illustration of Patrick’s encouraging influence on others, “Last fall he gave a presentation to local elementary students who came for the Museum’s disability awareness exhibit, Kids Like You, Kids Like Me. He was so popular that he received a huge stack of fan mail from the students. Patrick deserves the fan mail and this incredible gift of a new home.”
In addition to the honor of hosting the surprise, Museum exhibit staff is assisting the design team with the Sharrock’s new home. Referring to the Museum’s invitation to be a part of this experience for Patrick and his family, Henry Schulson comments, “It is a wonderful example of how Creative Discovery Museum and children’s museums can spark a child’s interest and serve as a powerful educational resource.”
About Creative Discovery Museum
Creative Discovery Museum is open Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun: noon-5 p.m. 321 Chestnut Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. Creative Discovery Museum is recognized as one of the top children’s museums in the nation. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to educational enrichment for children age’s 4-months to 12-years-old through interactive, hands-on experiences that foster creative and critical thinking. Creative Discovery Museum focuses on a broad range of areas encompassed by Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Technology and the Sciences. In addition to its exhibits, Creative Discovery Museum provides local residents and visitors with special events, educational programming, teacher resources for the classroom, field trips, after school programming, early childhood education classes, artist residencies, camps, art lessons, science demonstrations, and a branch of the local library. Creative Discovery Museum is a funded agency of Allied Arts and Tennessee Arts Commission and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The Emmy award winning reality program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” now in its 8th season, is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It’s executive-produced Brady Connell and George Verschoor. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The show airs Sundays from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET on ABC.
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