Jeanette Washburn, a manager at the Hillsboro Save-A-Lot, was the winner of the 2024 Dream Home Giveaway sponsored by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and FOX19 Now.
The drawing was held the morning of Friday, June 14 live during the FOX19 NOW morning show. The $480,000 three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home in Covington, Kentucky is 2,800 square feet. It was built by Fischer Homes.
According to a Fox19 online story, “the house has an open concept first floor with a two-story great room and fireplace; expansive kitchen with morning room; private owner’s suite on the first floor with a luxury bath; direct connection from the owner’s walk-in closet to the laundry room; and two additional bedroom upstairs and a flexible loft space.”
A total of 16,000 tickets, which cost $100 apiece sold out, raising $1.6 million for the kids of St. Jude.
“They called, and they couldn’t get ahold of me, and I just happened to call back because they kept calling and calling, and I called back and asked who was calling my cell phone, so it’s kind of funny, but it got the job done,” Washburn said.
Washburn said she felt a lot of emotions after learning she was the winner of the home.
“You go through ‘wow, is this true?’, then there was a period of ‘why me?’ so it’s actually a flood of emotions because you can’t believe it,” she said. “Then, when they finally convince you, then you go through a whole different set.”
Washburn said she is not sure if she is going to keep or sell the home, saying that she’s thinking about the subject.
“It’s a life-changing moment, you know, and you’re first impression may not be the right one,” she said.
Washburn said tickets are sold every year for houses across the country, but people are only eligible for ones in your state or close to them, with this a Cincinnati-area house.
“Their tickets sell out faster every year as more people hear about it, but it’s just a great way to donate to St. Jude, and I never thought I’d win,” said Washburn. “I just donated the money like I always do, but it’s a fun thing to sit back and think ‘wow, I could win that,’ but I would never have dreamed that. I was just giving St. Jude a donation in my mind.”
Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.
