Family To Get Brand New Home Courtesy Of ABC Show

by ABC-7 Primetime Anchor Rick Cabrera

EL PASO, Texas — One lucky local family is getting a brand new home courtesy of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

But the Ruiz family — Maria, Jesus and their two children, 19-year-old Elizabeth and 12-year-old Jesus, Jr. — don’t just get the house, they get to spend a week in the Bahamas while it’s built.

Their house is in the Ascarate area, at 813 Lagos Way. Because of the project, Castner from Lee Trevino to Silvestre will be closed for the next week or so.

One of the reasons the family was picked is because of the work they do in Juarez. Maria makes daily trips to Juarez to provide food and goods there, which is one of the reasons she was a finalist for CNN’s Hero of the Year contest.

Monday evening, the family was inside the home packing, and Extreme Makeover camera crews were getting video of the house before it was made over.

Ruiz was one of five local finalists. She found out she had won at 9:30 a.m. on Monday when Ty Pennington knocked on her door.

The family met with builders from Desert View Homes Monday afternoon. The builder is providing time, effort and expertise for free.

The house is 12 years old and never finished because that is when Ruiz started doing charitable work. An ABC media spokesman said the house is caving in.

According to El Paso city officials, the new home will be 3,800 square feet. It will have two kitchens, three bedrooms, three baths, a large living area and a storage facility. ABC media officials said the family will also be getting another surprise to help them with their ministry.

“I couldn’t believe it! We ran out the door when we heard Ty Pennington come in. We ran out the door and we all just ran because we were all excited. I needed somebody to pinch me or something because I couldn’t believe it,” Ruiz told ABC-7.

While the house is being built, the family will be at the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

The movers will be at the house Tuesday to empty it out, along with volunteers.

Spectators will be allowed in the area starting Thursday.