“I’ve learned that in tough times, you really need to let people know that you’re going through a tough time,” said Arlene Nickless, Tim’s wife. “You can’t get help out there unless you look for help and reach out. There are people that will help you, and even though you don’t feel it at the time, the support is there — you’ve just got to know when to ask.”

Volunteers, including many MSU students, helped in the rebuilding of the Nickless home. When the home was being built, many neighbors and workers expressed a common interest in watching the episode together, which led sponsors to host the party at Breslin Center.

“We’re really proud of the community,” said Bob Schroeder, owner of Mayberry Homes, which was a sponsor of the project. “This was a thank you for the community. To see them again is like getting friends together.”

The home was unveiled to the family Oct. 3 in Holt.

It was their story and the need of people in the area to show their commitment to community service that helped Mayberry Homes become involved, Schroeder said.

“It was a positive that demonstrated the power we had. The community showed up big time,” he said.

Gainsville resident Nichole Thorne attended the event to stand behind her relatives, who own Mayberry Homes.

“We came to support our family because what they did was pretty awesome,” she said.

Before the episode started, the Nickless family arrived inside a bus as the crowd cheered, “Move that bus!”

“There’s a huge amount to be thankful for,” Nickless told the audience. “The community and the way it pulled together … I know there were a lot of families in the running, I feel very blessed to have been chosen.”

With many of the workers and their families together, Schroeder said the show puts a great ending to the whole story.

“Well, we lived through it, so it’s bringing it all back,” he said. “It’s sort of pulling all the joy together. It brings back all the feelings we had while we were doing it.”