WSILTV in Pinckneyville, Illinois, reports 300 volunteers turned out at Contempri Industries, Inc. in Pinckneyville to help build a modular house for Joplin, Missouri, residents devastated by the May 22 EF-5 tornado that destroyed 7,000 homes. Some of the workers came up from Joplin to lend a hand. Part of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition that is constructing seven homes in seven days, the planned thirty-six hour marathon to build the first house only took 24 hours before the house was 80 percent complete, wrapped and ready for shipment to Joplin. Most of the volunteers had no previous construction experience, but all had the opportunity to sign the new modular home and wish the new residents good luck. Pinckneyville City Commissioner David Stone says he is pleased with his town’s support of the project. Tony Philpot, of Joplin’s Sherwood Forest Homes, says, emotion straining in his voice, “This, in comparison to the days after the tornado and constantly hearing the sirens and wondering if someone had passed or found another survivor, to today. It’s a lot of joy.”
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