Mrs. Obama graces season premiere on Sunday; Jubilee House veterans gifted with seeds from her Kitchen Garden...UPDATE, Sept. 25: First Lady publishes Op Ed about show
The White House released a video on Friday afternoon previewing First Lady Michelle Obama's appearance on the two-hour season premiere of ABC TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which airs Sunday. The episode tracks the makeover of the Steps n Stages Jubilee House, a shelter for homeless women veterans in Fayetteville, North Carolina run by Navy veteran Barbara Marshall, who was a chaplain. The episode also includes Mrs. Obama giving host Ty Pennington a tour of the White House. (Above: Mrs. Obama, in red, in a WH photo of the filming)
The First Lady joined the July filming as part of her Joining Forces campaign; she "was in town to lend a hand with the finishing touches, and welcome the Marshalls into their dream home," the White House said. The revamp of the Marshall residence included building a greenhouse. Some of the residents are avid gardeners, and Mrs. Obama presented them with seeds from her Kitchen Garden. (Above: With Pennington in a publicity still from ABC)"I'd like to say I put up the drywall, but my handy skills are limited," Mrs. Obama told People magazine. "But I did help screw in some plaques as a part of a fabulous design project that paid tribute to all of the female veterans who have passed through Barbara's home. I also lent a hand with the garden greenhouse by arranging the potted plants."
"Teaming up with our First Lady--we've had some big names on our show, but it just doesn't get any bigger than this," Pennington says in the White House video.
The show airs at 7:00 PM on ABC. It is Mrs. Obama's second outing on reality TV: She also appeared on Iron Chef America in 2010, in a special White House episode for her other signature initiative, the Let's Move! campaign. White House Executive Chefs Cris Comerford joined three celebrity chefs on the episode, who were filmed with Mrs. Obama at the White House before harvesting vegetables from her Kitchen Garden.
ABC, which is owned by Disney, sent Marshall and her family to Walt Disney World, where they were the guests of honor at a military-family themed parade. "During the parade, Mrs. Obama surprised the Marshalls and guests at the park with a video greeting from The White House, thanking Barbara for her support of homeless female veterans," Disney said in a press release.
Marshall served in the Navy from 1991-2001, and she was in the Reserves for five years prior. Her highest rank obtained was LCDR/04 Lieutenant Commander. She received the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal and National Defense Service Medal. Her 1st TOUR was from 1986-1991, and the 2nd tour was
NSWC Dahlgren King George, VA 1991-2001.
*Top photo by Samantha Appleton/White House, taken on July 27, 2011; second from ABC; White House video