St. Jude Celebrates 25th Year of home Giveaway

Located in Benton at 204 Sam Willen Drive, the 3,100 square-foot, four bedroom, three bathroom St. Jude Dream Home was built in Lost River Estates just off Palmetto Road. Only 14,000 tickets will be sold this year to win the dream home.

For the 25th year, Rodgers Homes and Construction has built and partnered with the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway to help raise millions for children’s cancer treatments. Philip Rodgers designed this year’s home, and Barry Walker, owner of Walker Home Designs LLC, drew the plans.

For the past six years, Philip has continued his father’s legacy of building the Dream Home for the Shreveport- Bossier City area. In keeping with family tradition, Barry’s father, Reggie, was the original draftsman on the project 25 years ago.

“We have been the drafting company for all of the Dream Homes with the exception of the very first one and one of the two that were built in Provenance a few years ago,” Barry Walker said.

Started by Dr. Donald Mack, a pediatrician from Shreveport, this fundraiser is one of the largest single event fundraisers for St. Jude nationwide.

The national St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway has raised more than $300 million to save the lives of children with cancer and other deadly diseases.

Volunteers, including builders, media partners and prize sponsors have successfully built and given away 340- plus houses across the country.

This year, the national program will include more than 30 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaways and continues to grow.

“My dad [the original builder of the dream home] and I both have a passion for raising money for the children of St. Jude,” Philip said.

Entering the home through the glasspaned front door, the view is absolutely breathtaking. Guy Williamson, of Designer’s Showroom in Shreveport, has worked hard to stage the home and create a stunning atmosphere.

Cathedral ceilings embellished with smooth cedar beams are perfect for this gorgeous Benton home and add to the open floor plan of the home.

Featuring a double fireplace, in the center of the open floor plan, one side faces the hearth room and kitchen, and the other side faces a living room area. No expense was spared when designing and building this home, and the builders and designers achieved elegance where smooth cedar beams meet brick.

Every element of the home tells a story.

“A St. Jude patient’s father actually laid the bricks inside of the house,” Jenny Rodgers, wife Philip Rodgers, said.

The granite counter tops in the kitchen and on the large island sparkle next to the GE stainless steel appliances donated by Barrett Appliances in Bossier City. Recessed lighting and two pendant lights hanging above the island light the space. Custom gray cabinets are another feature of the room.

Large windows in the breakfast room continue the open floor plan. The large pond from Lost River can be seen from the dining room table.

On the other side of the double fireplace, the main formal living room is decorated in popular peach, grays and greens. The traditional sofa upholstered with lines and prints was brought by Designer’s Showroom.

Just around the corner, the magnificent master suite awaits the lucky winner of the Dream Home. The builders and designers worked seamlessly together to make this a wonderful space.

The intricate ceiling design in the master bedroom immediately draws the attention to anyone that enters the room. It is painted with two-toned gray and accented with a cream trim lit with recessed lighting. A beautiful king-sized bed sits atop an authentic oriental rug provided by Designer’s Showroom.

Tile, carpet and related materials in the home were donated by Shaw Floors, Henson’s Carpet One and Dal Tile. Before flooring was installed, patients, families and sponsors came together to celebrate the eminent completion of the home by signing wellwishes on the subfloor and dedicating the home to the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The master bathroom is a must-see that showcases a huge shower, soaker tub, double sink granite vanities and walk-in closets. A crystal drop chandelier twinkles as it reflects the natural light of the room and the white and gray tiles. The space conveys a sense of Roman royalty and pampering.

Up the wooden and carpeted staircase embellished with about 4 feet of wrought-iron railing, a media room is ready for entertaining. The large, open space includes built in cabinetry painted in gray and granite counter tops.

The outdoor space is an ideal entertainment space with an outdoor kitchen. It includes a built-in stainless steel grill donated by Barrett Appliances, a relaxing outdoor fireplace, a Big Green Egg donated by Tubbs Hardware in Shreveport and a sink topped with granite. The cedar wooden ceiling finishes off the space and brings the indoor design to the outdoor space.

The garage has shelving and floors donated by Monkey Bars. “It’s almost too nice to park your car in it,” Jenny said.

Avallone Door and Iron Works in Shreveport donated the garage door. According to a fact sheet provided by Avallone, “Every year, we donate a garage door and opener to the construction of the St. Jude Dream Home. This year, we donated an Amarr Classica 1,000 Series Garage Door in Golden Oak Woodgrain, and a Liftmaster 1/2 HP Belt Drive Motor Operator with MyQ technology. Liftmaster’s MyQ technology allows you to sync your garage door opener with your smartphone or tablet.”

According to the fundraiser fact sheet, “The daily operating cost for St. Jude is $1.9 million, which is primarily covered by public contributions. Because the majority of St. Jude funding comes from individual contributors, St. Jude has the freedom to focus on what matters most – saving kids regardless of their financial situation.”

From bottom to top, creating the dream home is a labor of love for all involved. So many people have donated their time and effort to help make the project a success that it would be impossible to name them all in this article.

The house will be a dream come true not only for the new owner, but also for the children and families who rely on St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in their time of need.