RCA's Xtreme Room Makeover Winners!

I am fortunate to have lived a life that has provided countless emotional and inspirational days, and I must say that today is at the top of my list.  Earlier this year, we reached out to our family of donors and volunteers to propose an Xtreme Room Makeover project where different teams would compete against one another to makeover our students' bedrooms.  We were thrilled to have thirteen teams sign up, and this weekend, after months of planning, each team had 36 hours to completely transform one child's room.    

At 9 a.m. yesterday morning, the judges (representatives for our board and our staff) joined Kim Bearden and me as we visited each of the 13 rooms.   The students' families were staying at a Holiday Inn for the weekend (Courtesy of InterContinental Hotels), and we only had 3 hours to visit each home to take pictures before they returned home.    As you will see below, the transformation of the rooms is life changing, and I have seldom felt such a feeling of joy and gratitude.  I haven't felt like I felt today since I was a child at Christmastime, and today's Santa Clauses seriously didn't leave anything in the bag!  They went farther than we ever imagined and spread cheer not only into the hearts of our students, but also in the hearts of their families and everyone involved with RCA.  I love you all so much and my heart is very full of appreciation for you.  You put so much of yourselves into this project, and we are forever grateful. 

I have received calls from families all day long who wanted to describe the moment when they entered the room.  Many said they fell to the floor in tears, that the children went screaming through the house, or that they wouldn't leave the room.   The judges actually were late to a few homes, and I got to witness some of the joy firsthand.  We arrived at one apartment to hear screams coming from inside.  We knocked for over a minute before someone finally heard us.  They grabbed my arm and pulled me through the home, screaming and jumping up and down.  There wasn't a dry eye in the home.  One family told me that when they pulled into the driveway, the entire family was jumping out of the car and running to the home before the car even stopped.  They said they raced to the room and that what they saw was beyond their dreams.   I actually watched one family as they entered for the first time, and I cried along with all of the siblings, neighbors and other family members.  This day will live in their hearts forever, and I know that as they become older they will remember the miracle that was granted for them, and they will surely return the favor for countless others.  Thank you all so very much. 

Trying to decide winners for this contest was nearly impossible because everyone is a winner here, and every room is beyond belief.  However, this year's First Place winner and Xtreme Makeover Team Champion is the MFP Group!

Student - Reggie

Theme - Basketball 

Highlights of this room included a basketball court built in the middle of the room, custom closets, solid oak bunk beds, a handmade desk, computer, signed basketball jerseys from NBA players, personalized pictures from Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks) and an invitation by Joe Johnson for Reggie to attend his Christmas party.  

Student - Jule

Theme - Cities

Highlights of this room included an elaborate entertainment center, stylish carpet, computer, flat screen TV, photographs of cities around the world and a chest of drawers that was organized and labeled with all of Jule’s items that he left in his room. 

Before                                     After

Before                                     After

For our Third Place Xtreme Makeover Team winner two teams tied with the same number of points: 

Team 1 = M.A. Glenn and Friends

Student - Osei

Theme - Under the Ocean

Highlights of this room included custom closets, a biosphere, a flat screen TV playing an ocean themed Wii game, a bed under a bed that transforms into a couch, underwater photos taken by the design team, and a port-hole mirror. 

Before                              After

Before                              After

Team 2 = InterContinental Hotels Group Team #1

Student - Raven

Theme - The Beach

Highlights of this room included a lap top, flat screen TV, vibrant ocean colors, a wall mural, and a theme that carried over into the adjoining bathroom. 

Before                                    After

Before                             After

And the rest of the AMAZING Xtreme Room Makeover Teams: 

Anne and Cody Laird Family + Mitzi Michelson Family

Student - Ciara

Theme - Egypt

Highlights:  An absolutely gorgeous Egyptian-style canopy bed, Egyptian pictures and statues, a clapper, and other great details.  

Dell, Inc. and TSI

Student - Ahjanae

Theme - Fairies

Highlights:  A pink, personalized lap top, purple shag carpet, fairies everywhere, glowing flowers on the wall, and I don't know how to explain it, but there was a bowl on the dresser with mist coming out of it that was beyond cool. 

Keeping Pace (a group of Pace Academy families)

Student - Chi Chi

Theme - Nature

Highlights:  Natural elements throughout the room, wood mirror and wall art, beautiful bed, amazing book shelf and a bird that responds to movement and sound. 

Junior League of Atlanta

Student - Maiya

Highlights - Everything in this room was very green, Maiya's favorite color.  A hand carved wood quote by Maya Angelou hung on the wall and great attention to detail was taken throughout the room with design elements and organization. 

NAIOP

Student - Jalil

Theme - Super Heroes

Highlights - Truly amazing.  Jalil's room contained a memory book from the team with their pictures and words of encouragment.  There was a TV, computer, super hero bedding, quotes on the wall, and the coolest fighter jets on the walls. (Jalil wants to be a pilot.) 

Delta Air Lines

Student - Justyn

Theme - Pilot

Highlights - Justyn's entire room was made out of airplane parts from Delta Air Lines.  His bed was made from aircraft seats and his desk was made from the side of the plane.  Every element in his room contained great attention to detail and remained within the theme. 

Jeff Anderson and Family

Student - Rakim

Theme - Police Officer

Highlights - Rakim's room contained a lap top, Xbox with multiple games, flat screen TV and an entire new wardrobe.   Handcuffs were used around the room as a design element and a "Wanted" poster contained popular female singers and encouraged that anyone finding them should call Sergeant Byrd-Man (Rakim's nickname).    

Kilpatrick Stockton

Student - Onyx

Theme - Teacher/Drama

Highlights - Wow.  This room was completely transformed to become a living room as well as a bedroom.  The theme of teacher/drama was carried throughout, and there was even a set of props left in the room that Onyx can use when acting.  The room contained a lap top, television, new couch and furniture, and subtle elements throughout the space that carried through with the theme. 

Beecham Family and King's Ridge Christian School

Student - Jacob

Theme - Space

Highlights - The ceiling of the room was absolutely beautiful!  It contains all of the planets and the attention to detail was perfect.  The room also contained a glowing moon, dresser and television and outer space blinds.