The Brownwood Reunion Celebration kicked off Friday night with one of its most anticipated competitions of the weekend, Hands on a House.
This year, 23 contestants began the competition Friday evening by placing their hand on the custom-built cabin style playhouse. One participant dropped out before the competition began. The one who keeps their hand on the house the longest throughout Reunion weekend will win the 20 x 24 foot Texas-style cabin custom built by Johnny Cantwell.
There will be many other prizes, a significant 2nd prize as well as prizes used as bribery to get contestants to either leave the contest or to encourage them to continue to participate.This year’s contestants started off the event in cowboy and “old west” attire to go along with the Texas cabin theme to fit in like a western movie set to expand on overall Reunion theme of “lights, camera, action.”
Each year the Hands on a House competition also involves a canned food drive and it’s already well underway. This year, the food drive benefits Good Samaritan Ministries and the St. John’s Episcopal Church Food Bank. Local elementary and middle schools helped get the food drive going with a contest of their own bringing in over 5000 cans. The class (one at each school) that brings the most cans wins a pizza party; the winners of this school food drive will be announced at a later time during the Hands on a House competition.
Spectators are encouraged to contribute canned goods on behalf of the contestants to help them earn extra breaks on the house.
Several other side-competitions will be held during the event to help either eliminate contestants or reward them with extra breaks. The winner will be named sometime Sunday.
Get to know each contestant by reading the short biographies listed below.
This year’s competition is sponsored by Coldwell Banker, Mark Campbell & Associates, TexasBank Mortgage, Landmark Life Insurance Company, Ingram Concrete LLC, and Johnny Cantwell – Contractor.
Contestants are pictured at top. Click the photo gallery below for photos of the start of Hands on a House.
{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=458|
limitstart=0|limitcount=1|detail=1|displayname=1|
displaydetail=1|imageshadow=shadow1}
Austin Snyder: A senior at Brownwood High School, whose 18th birthday is the opening day of the Hands on a House contest. Austin stated why he wants to win, “My friends and I have all been desperately looking for a ‘Man Cave’ to hang out in, and this is the perfect opportunity for us. It’s by birthday, so why not?”
Ricky Dixon: A 26-year-old from May and works at Wal-Mart. Ricky has a unique idea for the house and states, “I want to add to the cabin I already have and have a new bedroom and a porch.”
Robin Hogue: A 50-year-old who lives in Early and works at 3M. Robin wants a weekend getaway.
Xan Duncan: A 57-year-old farm hand who lives in Early. Xan and his wife are working on putting together “a place for people who are in trouble and need a place to stay – a Bunkhouse.”
Richard Konig: A 50-year-old retiree from Brownwood who just wants a little shop to pass his free time.”
Laura Tilley: A 42-year-old stay-at-home mom of 5 children, ages 5-21. She would like to win the cabin to set up a tiny guest house or playroom for her kids.
Michele Patton: A 35-year-old pharmacy tech who works at Doc’s Drugstore. She lives in Brownwood and is the mother of two boys, ages 8 and 10. Michele wants to make a safe game room for her boys and their friends to enjoy as they grow older.
Trampus Miles: An 18-year-old TSTC student from Mullin who would like to win the cabin to use as a home after college.
Cecillio Chevarria: A 21-year-old who lives in Brownwood and works at 3M. Cecillio would like to win in order to sell the cabin to a friend. He would use the money to finish paying for his wife’s citizenship papers.
Caleb Pittman: A 21-year-old from Bangs who just moved back to town after serving in the military. Caleb wants to win because, as he says, he is going to need a place of his own soon.
Chuck Gebhardt: A 38-year-old who works at Chili’s. Chuck is returning as a fourth time contestant. He would like to have the cabin as a place of his own, possibly a workshop “as long as he isn’t run out of it by his three sons.”
Kirstie Durham: A 37-year-old home health professional with Tri-Star who is the mother of three, a 20-year-old and 8-year-old twins. She and her twins love the cabin and are looking forward to raising donations for Good Samaritan Ministries.
Roy “Redd” Lee, Jr.: A 31-year-old who works at the Dam Fire Department. Redd wants to win the cabin for his 3 kids, ages 5, 8 and 9.
Clifford Crouch: A 63-year-old father of two who works at Home Depot. He wants to win the cabin for his son who didn’t win last year, but with only one hand outlasted 21 other people.
Stephen Miller: A 35-year-old student at TSTC who is also the father of three, ages 6, 7, and 8. Stephen is environmentally conscious and wants to win the cabin and use it to reduce his electric usage and to “create a greener profile.”
Brady Burt: A 28-year-old father of 4, ages 5, 7, 8 and 12 who works at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Havins Unit. He plans to win the cabin and convert it to an apartment for a friend.
Rhonda Louviere: A 45-year-old mother of four grown kids, ages 20, 24, 25, and 26. Rhonda works at UPS and at STARR sales. She would like to win the cabin and turn it into her own little home.
Crystal Gayle Newingham: A 22-year-old who is unemployed and would like to win it as a home for herself. She states, “It’s only me so I don’t need a huge home.”
William “Bill” Rogers: A 46-year-old father of seven, ages 14-26, who works at BARR Fabrication. Bill wants to win the cabin as his “cowboy cave” because his current shed is about 1/3 the size of the Texas cabin. He has a perfect spot that sits facing west to sit on the porch and watch the sunset.
Albert Fry: A self employed 37-year-old who wants to win the cabin for his stuff and tools.
Mike Helms: A 39-year-old father of 7, ages 4-22 who works at Danhil Containers. He wants to win the cabin to have his own man cave/workshop where he can complete projects around the house and to get away from the kids.
Brandi Wright: A 28-year-old ministry assistant at First Baptist Church Brownwood, who helps with Kids Day Out and Hope Home Ministries. She also tends bar at the Brownwood Country Club. Brandi wants to win the cabin for Hope Home Ministries. If she doesn’t win, she states, “It’ll be good training for when I get on Survivor.”
Jason Lawson: A 33-year-old general laborer for Larry Petty who has a 12-year-old daughter. Jason would like to win the cabin because it would be a great playhouse or a good hideout for himself.
