Ruiz Family Welcomed To New Home

by ABC-7 Reporter/Anchor Ken Molestina

EL PASO, Texas — The anticipation is over. The bus has moved and the Ruiz family has gotten their first look at their brand new dream home.

Maria Ruiz is the El Paso woman who was chosen by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to get a dream home for all her contributions to the Borderland.

Thousands screamed to “move that bus,” and those cheers ushered in the beginning of a new life for the Ruiz family.

The family came home to a rock star welcome. The crowd cheered as they walked off the limousine from a week-long vacation in the Bahamas.

The family was greeted by Ty Pennington and the rest of the Extreme Makeover: Home Editioncrew members. All of them wasted no time in embracing the crew and the enthusiastic crowd with joy and cheers.

And then it was time for the big reveal. Maria Ruiz’s brother Jorge Eras said he was elated to see the happiness in the faces of his family.

“All of them were just crying. They were ecstatic.”

The crew is inside wrapping up the last scenes of the show with the Ruiz family. Meanwhile volunteers have already begun clean-up efforts.

The episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will air on ABC-7 on March 15.

The Ruiz family will hold a news conference at 4 p.m. Tuesday.