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‘George to the Rescue’ helps Lynbrook family

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A few weeks ago, Jackie and Jack Cook were surprised to find George Oliphant at their door, delivering news that they had been chosen for a complete kitchen renovation as part of NBC’s home improvement series “George to the Rescue.”

Since the work was completed, Jackie says, “Every time I walk into the kitchen now, I’m like, ‘Oh my God did this really happen?’”

“George to the Rescue” producers select “deserving people” for home renovations, pay for their lodging during construction, and film a reveal scene in which the family returns to their home to see the final product for the first time. By the time Oliphant arrived and made his “surprise” announcement, the show’s producers had conducted several preliminary interviews of the Cooks, and even filmed the couple to see how they would appear on screen. Jackie said that the crew came to their house several times, asking questions about her background and Jack’s, and their relationship with the community. Jack is a New York City fireman and a volunteer firefighter in Rockville Centre, and Jackie is a special education teacher at Lynbrook High School.

Jackie’s mother, Maria Burke, had long been a fan of the series, and got her daughter into it. When the Cooks bought their Lynbrook home on Taft Avenue nearly two years ago, it became clear that there was a lot of work to be done. “They always do a nice job, so I figured my daughter would want to enter,” Burke said of the show, adding that the renovation was a big undertaking.

“We had a really sectioned-off kind of a kitchen — it was pretty enclosed,” Jackie said. “It was very dark, in terms of very little light and very dark cabinets.”

The show put the couple up at a nearby hotel starting Jan. 24, and the renovations to their kitchen were completed over the next three weeks. While the show’s team of contractors and designers were at work, Oliphant taped a scene at Jack’s firehouse in Woodside, Queens, to give the show’s audience a feel for his work environment. “He’s who he is on camera,” Jackie said of Oliphant. “He was really lovely at Jack’s firehouse, thanking the guys for all they do.”

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