NEW ORLEANS, March 16 — The anguish of losing a home to the ravages of Hurricane Katrina was replaced by the joy of winning a new home when Myra Lewis learned she was the winner of the 2010 HGTV Dream Home, an enchanting, contemporary Pueblo-style home, located near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Lewis, assistant director of Dillard University’s Deep South Center for Environmental Justice in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an avid HGTV fan who entered the giveaway each morning during the seven-week entry period. She was at home watching television with her son Chris when HGTV’s Jamie Durie knocked on the door to surprise her with the news. Her emotional reaction was broadcast around the country during the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway 2010 special on Monday, March 15, 2010 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
“I’m blown away,” said an emotional Lewis. “I’m blown away. This is just unbelievable!”
Lewis, whose name was drawn from more than 40 million entries, received the HGTV Dream Home 2010 grand-prize package with a retail value of $2 million. In addition to the new, custom-designed and fully furnished home, the grand prize package includes a 2010 GMC Terrain and $500,000.
New Orleans native Lewis, 63, is a former science teacher and Peace Corps volunteer. She and her son evacuated to Houston for six months following Katrina, but ultimately returned home to the community they loved so he could continue his art studies at Delgado Community College. They were particularly interested in the 2010 HGTV Dream Home because of the vibrant artists’ community in the Santa Fe area.
Lewis’s sister, Diedre Charlot, lives across the street and came rushing over as soon as she received a call from her weeping sister. “I thought someone had died,” said Charlot. The sisters had both entered the giveaway multiple times, reminding each other to enter every day. “She’d call me up and say did you register today? I just think it’s glorious.”
Viewers can still see a 360-degree virtual tour of the 2010 HGTV Dream Home, and read Super Fan Gail Fenton’s enthusiastic blogs on HGTV.com/dreamhome. In addition, they will soon be able to see the location of the 2011 HGTV Dream Home at Dream Home Central.
About the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway
One of the most successful consumer promotions in cable TV history, the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway involves sponsorship from several national advertisers including General Motors LLC, Lumber Liquidators, Inc., The Procter & Gamble Company (Duracell), (Dawn® Hand Renewal With OLAY® Beauty), (Febreze Flameless Luminary), The Sherwin-Williams Company, Delta Faucet Company, BISSELL Homecare, Inc., Cosentino North America, Ethan Allen Global, Inc., Sub-Zero, Inc. and Wolf Appliance, Inc., Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. and the Estate Custom Collection, Oldcastle Architectural, Inc., The Walt Disney Company (Blu-ray), (Alice in Wonderland), (Toy Story 3), Rinnai America Corporation, Intuit Inc., Dole, Lindt & Sprungli (USA) Inc.
About San Pedro Overlook at Campbell Ranch
Campbell Ranch is a 30,000 acre master planned community nestled in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains along the Turquoise Trail, arguably the most beautiful place in New Mexico. Midway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the location provides a rare combination of the inspirational ambiance of mountain resort living with world class metropolitan amenities. The master plan is made of seven distinct communities with real estate product ranging from large working ranches to medium density village home sites. More information about the gated community of San Pedro Overlook, the site of the HGTV Dream Home 2010, can be found at sanpedrooverlook.com.
About HGTV
HGTV, America’s leader in home and lifestyle programming, owned by Scripps Network Interactive, Inc. (NYSE: SNI), is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and is one of cable’s top-rated networks. HGTV’s website, HGTV.com, is the nation’s leading online home-and-garden destination that attracts an average of 4 million unique visitors per month.