Last Saturday, I got an email forwarded from Robert Scoble from a Design Producer at ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  They had contacted Microsoft as a “local” company to help a family in Kingston, WA.  After a short 9:30am conf call on Monday, we learned about the family and the team's request for assistance w/ a 24 hour deadline for delivery.

While I'm contractually bound to not discuss details until after the airing (early January and I will write more then), I can say that I'm just so impressed by how in a 24 hour period, a large v-team across multiple groups and companies was able to secure a wide range of donations for the family. One of my favorite memories was of how our team of 10 volunteers did everything from pitching in to assemble and move in furniture, to technology installations.  

I have no idea if you'll actually see any of what we did.  That wasn't the point- it was just a great way to kick off the holiday season and help a neighbor. No one complained, even when we missed the ferries and got home at 3:30am the day of the reveal only to turn around again at 6am. No celeb pictures or autographs.  Everyone was singularly focused on getting the job done in time. The Production team was top-notch, and most importantly, it was for a great cause. The is a “real“ Reality Show and yes, Ty, Preston, Michael, and company are as nice as they seem on TV.

Oh and starting this week and by circumstance, ABC's Extreme Makeover is available in Enhanced TV for Media Center.  Check it out in Online Spotlight- live chats, polls, and facts as you're watching the show. I would like to say this was all connected but it wasn't.  The volunteer work came about directly as a result of accessibility via Robert Scoble's blog.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this holiday a better one for one family.  No more comments until after the show airs :).