Sunday, 05/08/05

Tour St. Jude Dream Home and enter raffle for chance to win it

Imagine winning a 3,000-square-foot home valued at more than $450,000 in Franklin. It actually will become a dream for someone.

The home is the grand prize drawing for the annual St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. And it is St. Jude's dream to sell 10,000 tickets at $100 each to raise $1 million to benefit children battling cancer.

The winning ticket holder will win the two-story home being built by the Southern Land Company in the Westhaven community in Franklin.

''This is just a way for us to give back to the community,'' said Trey Adkisson, purchasing manager for Southern Land Company, which donated the lot and worked with subcontractors, businesses and manufacturers to get more than 80% of the materials donated.

This is St. Jude's first dream home to be given away in the Middle Tennessee area. Two other dream homes are also being built in Tennessee — one in Memphis and one in Knoxville. Nationwide, St. Jude will give away 35 dream homes this year. Since the program began 12 years ago, the hospital has raised more than $41 million.

Visiting the Dream Home

If you would like to see the home for yourself, it opens to the public next Saturday, with tours on the weekends through June 19. The drawing takes place on Fox Channel 17 on June 26.

If you would like the rocking-chair tour, settle back and we'll take you on a sneak peak.

The two-story home is washed in alabaster white paint and trimmed with black shutters. And those are real shutters with hinges that allow you to close them.

On the roomy front porch, you can sit back in rocking chairs and spend evenings getting to know your new neighbors.

As you walk through the front door, don't miss the beautiful natural white oak hardwood in a dark walnut finish throughout the main level and a staircase with decorative wrought-iron spindles winding its way upstairs to the sleeping areas.

In the dining room that is big enough to seat 12 and house that oversized china buffet, you'll notice a grand Oriental rug, which is one of more than two dozen prizes on display throughout the home. Besides the home, ticket holders will also vie for prizes ranging from a $40,000 bass boat to a $1,000 mall shopping spree.

Make your way to the opulent kitchen with its custom maple cabinetry featuring a vanilla-bean finish with a chocolate glaze and a gourmet island featuring cabinets in a nutmeg stain with a chocolate glaze. A masterpiece of rich granites in coffee brown is the perfect complement to the cabinetry. And the Kohler faucet finished in the new Brazen Bronze color gives the entire room an Old World look.

It is the perfect spot for entertaining or enjoying a morning latte.

''The kitchen is gorgeous. We really used the nicest products we had available,'' said Carrie Maechler, interior designer with Southern Land Company. And all the appliances were donated by General Electric.

This is a home that also welcomes in the outdoors thanks to a covered porch built right off the family room. The idea is to pull the outside inside on warm days and leave the door open. And with wicker furniture on the porch — another prize donation — this is also a comfortable setting for afternoon tea and a good book.

As you wander upstairs, note the loft area at the top. Another place that offers more opportunities for creative use of space — think reading nook or child's play area.

The two upstairs bedrooms reflect the child in all of us. In one room, there's Larry the Cucumber, Bob the Tomato and other popular characters from Veggie Tales thanks to a donation by Big Idea Productions.

The second room is a girly room with Victorian dolls and books provided by Mission City Press, a Franklin-based Christian publishing company.

You'll notice that the home has an eclectic feel because each room is decorated by local businesses that are donating prizes or furnishings.

Finally, retreat into the large master bedroom where you can swing open the French doors that lead to a second covered porch.

All you need to do is add some Norah Jones, a glass of wine and a summer breeze.

About St. Jude

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded in 1962 by the late Danny Thomas who believed no child should ever be turned away from receiving medical care because of his or her inability to pay for treatment.

It was the first institution established for the sole purpose of conducting basic and clinical research into catastrophic childhood disease, primarily cancer. And since opening, it has developed protocols that have brought the survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20% to better than 70% overall.

About the Dream Home

The 3-bedroom, 2½ bath home with bonus room is in the Westhaven community in Franklin.

It is valued at approximately $450,000 and is being built by Southern Land Company.

You don't need to be present to win or live in Williamson County, and if you win the house, you can sell it.

All prizes valued at $1,000 or more are considered ''ordinary income'' by the IRS and winners will be issued 1099s for the fair market value.

• Open houses: Free tours begin this Saturday and run 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays until June 19.

June 26 is the drawing. The drawing will air live on Fox Channel 17 and also be broadcast on WSIX-98 (Dream Home sponsors).

• Raffle tickets to win the home: $100 each (they are not tax deductible) can be purchased at Hancock Fabrics, Principal Communications, American Signature Furniture, or call 1-800-746-6713 or visit www.stjudedreamhome.org.

• Directions: The home is at 115 Addison Avenue in the Westhaven neighborhood in Franklin off Highway 96.

From the I-65 exit in Franklin, at Highway 96, head west toward Franklin, turn left on Church Street/Highway 96 and follow it through town. Westhaven is about five miles down on the left. Turn into the neighborhood and follow the signs.

Prizes

Here is a partial list of some of the prizes that will be raffled in addition to the home:

• Napoleon outdoor grill (Hometown Hearth N Grill)

• His & her watches (Crown Jewelry & Gifts)

• $5,000 worth of moving services (Apex / Robert E. Lee Moving and Storage)

• $40,000 bass boat and trailer (Triton Boats, Mercury Marine & Nashville Roadway Express)

• Oriental rug (Carpet Den Interiors)

• Four rocking chairs / Cracker Barrel

• Two wooden wicker chairs and table (Mr. T's Patio)

• $1,000 Office Depot package, includes iPod

• $1,000 shopping spree (CBL Malls: CoolSprings, Hickory Hollow & RiverGate)

• $1,000 AmExp Visa Card (American Home Mortgage)

• Two $500 shopping sprees (Lowe's Home Improvement stores)

• $500 shopping spree (Academy Sports)

• Taylor acoustic 6-string guitar (from Amy Grant & Vince Gill)

• $1,000 shopping spree (Hancock Fabrics)

• Four tickets & pit passes to July Indy Race (Nashville Super Speedway)

• $2,995 digital piano (Steinway Piano Gallery)

• Wall mural (Artist Jeff Welch)

• Artwork (Hedges Art Gallery)