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Beloit business involved in ABC's Extreme Makeover-Home Edition

BELOIT — A business deal turns into a fund raising effort for a local business.

Mark Finnegan, President of Finnegans' RV Center in Beloit says they're providing trailers to the crew of the ABC TV show "Extreme Makeover-Home Edition." The production crew is currently at the Philip and Joey Stott home in rural Lena, Illinois, filming a segment. The network sent the family away to Disney World while work is done on the house, which suffered damage in a fire. The family was picked for the show because of the fire, and because Mrs. Stott (Joey) is being treated for leukemia, a disease that took the life of Cy Finnegan, patriarch of the Finnegan family.

After visiting the production site, Mark Finnegan decided to do more than just supply trailers to the filming crew and hastily organized a fund raising effort among friends and business in the Beloit area. Over $2,000 was collected in one day last week, and Finnegan hopes to have at least $10,000 by Tuesday. Money collected will be put into a cashier's check, made payable to Philip and Joey Stott and given to them during the "reveal" segment of the show, expected to be filmed Wednesday or Thursday. A card with all of the donors names will be delivered to Ty Pennington, host of the show. Finnegan says the show will be aired some time in December 2009 or January 2010.

The deadline for donations is Tuesday, September 15. Janesville area residents wishing to participate can drop off donations at Kutter Harley Davidson in Janesville.