The cast of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” would like to brighten the holidays for a deserving military family this year.

The reality show is seeking nominations for military families in desperate need of a home makeover. The selected family will be featured in an upcoming holiday episode.

“We want to do a holiday-themed episode that’s even bigger and more extreme than ever,” David Shumsky, the show’s casting director, said in an ABC news release. “In order to pull off such a huge venture, we need the support of the entire community. We know that the military communities will come out to help one of their own.”

The popular reality show features Ty Pennington, his design team and a host of volunteers performing a massive home makeover in just seven days. The show focuses on families whose home situation is a severe hindrance to their quality of life, Shumsky explained.

“We really want to help families whose homes present major problems for the family — those big issues that affect the family’s quality of life on a daily basis,” he said. “We want to find deserving people who just don’t have the resources, ability or time to fix those serious issues without our help.

“For this special episode we’d love it if the holiday season had some special significance to the family’s story,” he added. “Maybe they have unique holiday traditions or volunteer in an organization specifically geared toward the season. Ultimately, we want to give this family the best holiday they’ve ever had.”

Families in need of a makeover or community members who know of a deserving family are welcome to submit nominations. Nominations must include the names and ages of every household member, a description of the major challenges within the home, a short description of the family story, and a contact phone number.

People should also explain why the family is deserving, heroic or a great role model in their community and, if possible, include recent photos of the family and home. People can submit nominations via email to jax@emhe.tv.

For more information on how to apply, visit the show’s website at http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=apply.

This camp is absolutely FREE to military children, with hopes of further supporting military families!　

Dates: August 16th – 20th 2010

Open to children: ages 7-13

Location:

37612 Indian Mound Rd.

 Oconomowoc, WI 53066

(Partnering with the Milwaukee County Council Boys Scouts of America)

Sample Activities:

* Small group activities to increase relationship building

* Campfire Cooking- items such as hot dogs, s’mores, pudgie pies over a fire

* Nightly bonfires sing alongs, s’mores and fun!

* Swimming, canoeing and fishing on Silver Lake

* Participating in the C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) program (promotes team building, self confidence, communication, leadership skills)

* Arts and craft projects

* Learning about nature and exploring the bird refuge on site

* Sporting activities

* Field trip (TBD)

Participants will be paired with highly specialized field science educators and staff members who will guide families through various activities such as nature hikes, canoeing, campfires, beach exploration, snow shoe hikes, and more! In addition, the weekend includes structured activities which will highlight areas of strength and resilience in your family and promote family growth.

These retreats are open to service members and their families who have experienced deployment within the last 15 months. To be eligible to be considered for these retreats, service members must have returned from deployment no less than 3 months or no more than 15 months prior to the start date of each retreat. Families who attend will receive a $200 stipend per family upon arrival to the retreat site to cover cost of travel. The retreats are free thanks to support from the Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation.

Location and Dates:

The Teton Science School, Jackson, Wyoming: March 19-23, 2010

Teton Science Schools are a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, operating year-round in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in partnership with Grand Teton National Park and as a permittee of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
http://www.tetonscience.org

Eligibility Requirements

These retreats are available to service members and their families who have returned from deployment within the last 18 months. Service members must have been home for at least 3 months prior to the beginning of the retreat.

Service members from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard-active duty and reserve component-as well as families of the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are eligible to apply.