An overjoyed Mary Jones of Katy, Texas said she and her husband Tom had just finished dinner, were eating cookies and trying to decide what to do for the rest of the night, when they saw a bunch of lights coming through their front window. When they opened their front door, HGTV’s Monica Pedersen stood there and announced, “Mary you are the winner of the HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2012!” Later, Mary shared that in that moment she thought, “Is this happening? This is a really good thing to do for the night!” Her grand prize package includes the fully furnished 2,300-square-foot home in Serenbe, an eco-progressive community in the Chattahoochee Hills of Georgia, $100,000 and a 2012 GMC Terrain.
A former substitute teacher, Mary said she tries to live a green lifestyle and make eco-friendly choices when she can. She and her husband were considering retirement in Colorado, but now that she has won the HGTV Green Home they may be looking forward to a new adventure in Georgia.
“I can’t even think right now,” said Mary.” “Everybody should enter because you never know — this is a great gift and a great adventure.”
Mary said that she has already imagined herself walking around the home and is looking forward to spending time in its organic gardens.
Viewers will be able to see full coverage of Mary receiving the keys to her new home in the 30-minute special, HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2012 , on Friday, August 17, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. A 360-degree virtual tour of the home also can be seen at HGTV.com/greenhome.
“The HGTV Green Home Giveaway has inspired our viewers to embrace eco-friendly living and design,” said Denise Conroy-Galley, senior vice president of marketing and creative services, HGTV. “Mary was randomly selected from more than 35 million entries – the highest total number of entries for a HGTV Green Home to date.”
This year’s modern prairie-style HGTV Green Home was inspired by Southeastern culture and regional architecture, and is located 30 minutes south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The home features an open floor plan with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, and is decorated with sustainable products including solar panels, concrete countertops and recyclable rugs. It has received a Platinum LEED certification – the highest rating a home can earn within the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, as well as an Energy Star certification, which acknowledges its energy efficiency.
