On August 11, Mary Smith of Shreveport received news that would change her life — she is the winner of the 2013 KTBS 3/St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway in Shreveport-Bossier.
A 2,721-square-foot, single family home built by Rodgers Homes & Construction, Inc. located in the Turtle Creek Estates subdivision of Benton was her new prize.
“I try to do the right things for the right reasons, “said Smith. “It’s all about the children, and that’s what it should all be about. It’s worthwhile!”
Not only does the KTBS 3/St. Jude Dream Home with an estimated value of $350,000 benefit the new homeowner, but also the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® who are battling cancer and other deadly diseases, such as Kami Chauncy, Jackson Kennedy and Pierce Parker.
Since the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway launched in 1991, St. Jude has given away more than 300 houses and raised more than $246 million in ticket sales, making it the largest single-event fundraiser for the hospital. It’s because of programs like this that no family ever pays St. Jude for anything, and St. Jude covers the cost of treatment, travel, lodging and food for our patients and a family member.
“I’m thrilled for Mary Smith and pleased that the KTBS 3/St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway has and always will be a win-win for everyone involved,” said Dr. Donald Mack, founder and local campaign chairperson for the KTBS 3/St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. “Having the generous support of the community and loyal sponsors allows St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to continue its discoveries through research and unparalleled patient care that have saved countless lives around the world.”
Since opening more than 50 years ago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries.
The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life.
Visit stjude.org or follow them on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.
