Posted at: 10/13/2009 11:01 AM
By: Becky Nahm

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"'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" Comes to St. Paul

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" traveled to St. Paul, Friday, October 2, to meet Sandy Morris, who left a promising career in the public school system to open a daycare within her community.

Team leader Ty Pennington, the design team, "Good Morning America" weather anchor Sam Champion, the Muppets and hundreds of volunteers will rebuild Sandy's deteriorating 100-year-old home in seven days and save the daycare which has become a pillar of support in this multicultural and vibrant community.

Sixteen years ago, Sandy Morris was pregnant with her first child and working as an early childhood education teacher. After the birth of her daughter, Catricia, Sandy examined her daycare options and discovered that none of them met her standards.

Sandy decided to quit her job and start her own daycare in the community where she'd grown up. Because most high-quality daycares were too expensive for her neighbors, Sandy found ways to run her daycare at a lower cost and charges just enough to support herself and her family. She also offers a multicultural environment to these children, who affectionately call her "Tia Sandy."

Sandy's dedication to her daycare and her community has produced one of the best daycares in the city; even the Mayor of St. Paul sent his son there. Unfortunately, Sandy runs her daycare out of their 100-year-old home, which is falling apart. The numerous repairs needed to make the home safe threaten to shut down the daycare.

Now it's up to Ty and the designers to build Sandy, 40, her daughter Catricia, 15, and her son Mychal, 12, a safe home that is a sanctuary for their family and will enable Sandy's daycare to remain a center of community life and education.

The Morris Family will go on Disney Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, while "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team leader Ty Pennington, designers Ed Sanders, Tracy Hutson, and Paul DiMeo, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Animal, Gonzo, and the entire Muppet gang, celebrity volunteer Sam Champion, local builder TJB Homes, Inc., and community volunteers rebuild their home.