Fans are packed into one street-block. A thick, metal fence is the only barrier holding them back from bursting onto the site. Less than 10 yards from the other side, Ty Pennington and Page Hemmis stroll casually by the huge bus, seemingly unaware of the swelling crowd nearby. Upon their arrival, applause and vigorous clapping erupt from all sides. 
    But one family remained calm, preparing for what stood on the other side of that bus.
    The “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” crew presented the Patrick Tutwiler family with their new home at 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon in Chapman, Kan.
    Pamela Jirak, Abilene, Kan., resident, said she stood in the cold for four hours waiting  for the reveal.
    “I can’t see anything except for this big bus,” she said. Pointing to a group of people on a rooftop, she said with a laugh, “Now that’s the place to be!”
    Ryan Kester, soldier at Fort Riley and member of Patrick Tutwiler’s unit for wounded soldiers, watched as his friend saw his new house for the first time.
    “It was really nice to see them do something special for a guy in my unit,” he said. “It’s very good to see a fellow wounded soldier getting a new house. He’s had it pretty rough too, with his wife getting cancer and his house getting destroyed by the tornado. So it’s very good.”
    Besides providing the Tutwiler family with a new home and furnishings, the “EMHE” crew also built a new community center for Chapman and helped other residents who were affected by the June 11 tornado that damaged the town. Christal Baer, Chapman resident, and her family members have stayed in a rental home since their house was destroyed. This week, “EMHE” donated new furniture to Baer’s family.
    “We got to watch them bring a truckload of furniture into the house,” she said. “I just can’t wait to use it.”
    Daniel Hutchinson, DJ for the Angel 95 radio station in Manhattan, said the presence of “EMHE” in Chapman provided area churches with the opportunity to serve others in their community.
    “Seeing the people of God really wanting to make an effort and step out of their comfort zones — that’s the church, the way it’s supposed to be,” Hutchinson said.
    Hutchinson said because of his position in the community, he has known about the project for a couple of months.
    “I’ve seen everything come together from the ground up,” he said. “The cement dried amazingly fast. They did the the roofing and all the siding in one day. It’s amazing to see how fast 3,000 people can put up a house in just a few days.
    Though many spectators watched the exterior construction, very few have seen the inside. Becky Dibben, Chapman area resident, said she sewed the curtains, pillows, canopies and more items for the house.
    “It’s really neat inside, especially the little girl’s room,” she said. “It looks like a fairytale. It has a canopy, a chandelier - everything.”
    Austin Ponton, Salina resident, said he also had an inside track to the project because his father Archie Ponton was the head contractor. 
    “I’ve done everything from help set up the pad to decorating the inside,” Austin Ponton said. “The inside of the house is very modern. It’s not necessarily Kansas style, but definitely L.A. style.”
    In addition to the huge crowd and the “EMHE” crew, the Chapman High School cheerleading squad was also at the reveal on Tuesday. About 20 members of the squad performed stunts, held signs and led the crowd in event-related cheers.
    “All the stuff that’s going on has been really fun,” said Chris Davis, senior at CHS. “Occasionally, Ty and [the crew] would walk around the school. Everybody was going crazy. The girls went crazy.”
    Heather Diles, senior at CHS, said she was excited to be a part of the reveal and the entire process, but most importantly, she was star-struck by the different TV personalities “EMHE” brought to Chapman throughout the week.
    “It’s really weird, because they’ll come to school at random times and we won’t know when,” she said.
    Diles said earlier this week while she was between classes, one student said, “Look, it’s Ty!”
    “As soon as I said, ‘Where?’ I bumped into him!” she said with a laugh.
    Diles said she apologized profusely and that Pennington replied, “It’s okay, honey, just get to class and don’t be late.”

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