Overcoming Busy

We’re Giving Away A House!!

April 7, 2011 by Marci

On Sunday, our family will see the culmination of a project that we have been working on for months.

We are giving away a house!!!

Yes. An entire, beautiful, brand new house! (You can see the virtual tour here.)

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

A few months back, my husband was approached to take part in the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway project to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. While we had contributed to St. Jude in the past, we really didn’t understand what St. Jude was all about. All we knew is that they treated kids with cancer and didn’t charge them for their treatments. That’s it.

Now, after two trips to Memphis to tour the hospital, to talk to patients and families, and getting to know some of the staff at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their fundraising branch ALSAC, we have a whole new respect and admiration. St. Jude not only cures cancer. St. Jude gives life – to the patients, the families and anyone who is involved with their mission.  That place just blows us away! We have never been anywhere more positive and life-affirming. What they are doing for the patients and the future patients is simply amazing. We knew we had to do something more to help.

St. Jude Dream Home

My husband donated his time to design and general contract a gorgeous 4 bedroom, 3 bath home valued at approx $330,000 to be raffled off this Sunday night (April 10th, 2011) as part of the nationwide St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway campaign. This home is in a great family neighborhood, has a 3 car garage, full landscaping and irrigation system, Amish-made custom cabinets, hand-scraped wood floors and is packed with the details that make my husbands homes exceptional! To keep the cost down so we could raise as much money as possible, his awesome sub-contractors donated nearly all labor and much of the material to build this home. Tickets are being sold, even as we speak, for $100. That gets the ticket holder a chance to win the house and dozens of other prizes. We have the opportunity to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

A Family Project

While my husband has put in the real work, this has been a family venture. The kids and I have been all over town putting up flyers and posters. My daughter has a no fear attitude going into businesses asking them to put the posters up or pass out brochures to their customers! She loves working the open houses we have been having all through March. We all wear our St. Jude T-shirts and sport a huge “Win A House” magnet on our car. My son loves putting sticky note reminders everywhere we go. The kids know it is all to help find a cure for kids fighting cancer. They are motivated to help. They pray for the St. Jude patients all the time.

This has been a wonderful experience! Our family has a chance to make a difference in the lives of young cancer patients. Our kids have the opportunity to see community and love in action. Hopefully, we never forget the lessons we have learned!

If you live in our neck of the woods, consider buying a ticket. Even if you don’t win, you will be supporting the cure for childhood cancer. Or, check out www.stjudedreamhome.org to find a Dream Home giveaway near you.