Experience the Excitement and the Generous Contributions of the 2014 Parade of Homes
Many people who hear Parade of Homes think about large “hordes” of people heading out on a Saturday or Sunday to tour multiple homes in numerous subdivisions throughout the Greater New Orleans area. They may envision builders and representatives available to interested new home buyers to discuss the many unique and gorgeous features of their homes for sale. They may even consider that they might find the home of their dreams by venturing out on a bright spring weekend in St. Tammany Parish.
However, some of our residents and home buyers may be unaware of the essentially important and “good” benefit that the St. Tammany Parish Home Builders Association’s (STHBA) Parade of Homes brings to many different organizations and charities in our parish. Most people aren’t aware that the Parade of Homes is an event that showcases local builder homes for sale as well as advertises the existence of the STHBA Raffle House.
The Raffle House is a “free” home that is donated by the Home Builders Association, its builder, and the many vendors who donate their materials and time to the project. It is typically built by the president of the Home Builders Association. The Raffle House is then donated to the winner of a Raffle organized by a committee of the STHBA, and other prizes and giveaways are given out to other Raffle winners. The Raffle itself sells tickets for approximately $50/ticket. There are typically 2,500 tickets available for purchase. This event is a grass roots effort by members of the Home Builders Association in that members are typically the ones out there “beating the bushes” and selling raffle tickets. If you have been involved at all in the real estate industry in St. Tammany Parish, then you have probably been approached by an HBA member to purchase a Raffle ticket. Not only is the giveaway of a new house, built from the ground up, most of the time with custom materials, a GOOD thing that the St. Tammany Home Builders Association does, but in 17 years, the STHBA has donated $4.3 million in raffle proceeds to local charities.
Many officers and committee chairs with the STHBA have observed the meticulous vetting process of choosing charities to receive a contribution from the Raffle House event. Competition is strong but civil as there seem to be some recurring and deserving causes in the area that have received contributions multiple years in a row. The process is taken very seriously by those on the committee responsible for choosing these charities as this money can be vital to an organization’s growth and/or survival. Some recipients of the Raffle proceeds from the 2014 Parade of Homes Raffle House include the following: Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana, Good Samaritan Ministry, Habitat for Humanity-St. Tammany West, and St. Tammany Hospital Foundation.
This year’s Raffle House was built by Susan Meyer’s company Conbeth Construction & Development. Susan Meyer is the 2013-2014 president of the Home Builders Association. The home has been built at TerraBella Village in Covington, Louisiana. The project was collaborated on with architect Mike Piazza, who designed this new home. TerraBella offers cottage-style homes with rear-entry garages which create an open, inviting streetscape where you can hang out on your front porch, watch traffic go by, and “greet your neighbors.” The design of the Raffle House is reflective of this concept with Caribbean Cottage architecture complete with a metal roof for the front porch supported by natural wood beams. The cottage was styled by Bethany McCulla of BMAC Interiors.
“Terra Bella lends itself to this Caribbean look,” says McCulla, “We used natural fabrics like sea grass, linen and chenille. Reminiscent of an island escape, textures bring dimension to the neutral color scheme, such as marble and limestone. The interiors are kept cohesive by repeating colors and textures throughout the downstairs,” she said. Except for the bathrooms and mudroom, the flooring throughout the house is a grayed oak. Slashes of bright colors are seen inside and out. McCulla melds the textures and colors into a sophisticated, yet relaxed, feel.
So, as you travel out and about in St. Tammany Parish to tour the many new homes available for sale at different subdivisions in Madisonville, Mandeville, Covington, and Abita Springs, keep in mind that the Raffle House is not only the “grand finale” of the Parade of Homes, but it is also a program that donates to very worthy local charities. The STHBA is dedicated to raising money for charity not only with its annual Raffle House giveaway but also with other important community programs and projects throughout the year. To learn more about the St. Tammany Home Builders Association, you can visit their website at www.sthba.org, and you can view all of the details about the Raffle House as well as how to buy your ticket at www.raisingtheroof.net.
