A former Eau Claire man who is now a member of the Minnesota Gophers baseball team got the rare and amazing chance of a lifetime when he was invited to stand in a large crowd and cheer on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. From the Leader-Telegram:

• Fern, 21, a junior at the University of Minnesota and former Eau Claire Memorial High School student, was on hand as the Susan and Dirk DeVries family returned to their rebuilt home near Albert Lea as part of the ABC television program.
• Fern, a pitcher with the U of M baseball team, was one of about a half-dozen players at the celebration. But he also was interested in the construction of the home, given that he is majoring in construction management.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which attempts to yank your heart stings by quickly building McMansions for unfortunate yet inspiring people, left quite an impression on Fern. As he told the L-T, "I didn't get a chance to look inside, but it sure looks good from the outside." What wonderful memories this young man will have to hold onto forever and ever.