Welcome Home Suggs Family
By Jean Hampton
Derrick and Amanda Suggs and their family were welcomed to their new home in Loris on January 18. by an exuberant crowd of 5,000 spectators, including Loris High School students and cheerleaders, volunteers, friends and family. Ty Pennington, the design team of ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Jeff Gordon, NASCAR champ and celebrity builder for the episode shared in the excitement.
Suggs Family’s New Extreme Home Makeover Home
The 3,500 sq. ft. house was built by Sterling Homes and hundreds of volunteers in 100 hours while the family was sent on vacation to Disney World in Orlando, FL.
When the Suggs family stepped out of the limo, they were overwhelmed by the community support for them. They thanked Clinch Heyward and Harry Dill of Sterling Homes for making the home build possible. As the crowd began to shout “move that bus,” the driver pulled away and they saw their brand new home for the first time.
The Suggs family in front of their new home: Clockwise, Amanda, holding Mason, Derrick, Jacob, Jordan, & Walker.
During a later interview, Amanda, the mom, said “it was such a shock. We could not know the impact of what was going on while we were gone. We still have the same great love in our family, but now we have a wonderful home to share. As a mom I don’t have to worry about the floors caving in and the children getting hurt. It is such a weight lifted and is still like a dream. We are so thankful to everyone.”
Derrick, the dad, said “ It means so much to us and it is hard to take it all in. I won’t have to worry about my family being taken care of and safe while I am at work. One word I can use to describe the experience is amazement.”
Jacob, Amanda’s brother, age 17, jumped for joy when he saw the new home. He said “I will keep my friends close and things will still be the same at school.” When asked what his future plans include he said he plans to enroll in college and possibly study criminal justice. He might become a policeman. “This is wonderful that people think so much of me and my family to do this for us,” he said.
The family received several other donations and gifts including scholarships from Charleston Southern University, Horry Georgetown Tech, tuition from First Presbyterian Church Growing Tree Preschool, two-year scholarships donated by Chick-Fil-A and lifetime tickets to the Darlington Raceway.
The sentiment most often expressed by those who know the Suggs family was they are so deserving and give back so much to their community. Welcome home!
