Bright lights and swiveling cameras hovered two feet away from Jed Mescon’s face as the WRCB-TV news personality grabbed a fateful slip of paper.
Meanwhile, in a Bradley County hayfield, 30-year-old Jeremy Andrews was helping his brother with some outdoor chores, drowning out boredom with headphones.
When he heard a particular radio announcement — “Jeremy Andrews has won the new St. Jude Dream Home!” — he almost fell off the tractor.
“I haven’t even seen it in person. Only on the TV commercials,” Mr. Andrews said with an audible grin in his voice. “Never, ever thought I’d win.”
The two-story, brand-new house, valued at $350,000, was the grand prize in a contest that saw 7,500 participants enter with a $100 raffle ticket. All proceeds go toward children and families who use St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an institution in Memphis focusing on cancer treatment.
“Our families never receive a bill,” said Megan Emmert, senior event marketing representative for St. Jude. “That’s where all the money goes.”
When reached Sunday night, Mr. Andrews said his wife, a nurse at a local hospital, had just returned home after her shift. Ready to put her feet up after a long day, she told her husband to stop repeating the impossible lie.
“She didn’t believe me,” Mr. Andrews said. “When her friends at work started seeing my name on TV and calling her, she checked it online and there it was.”
The Georgetown, Tenn.-based couple is undecided on what they will do with their new asset, but they know it will help matters. They have two children and a third due in September.
“It came at the perfect time,” Mr. Andrews said.
ABOUT THE HOUSE
* 5 bedrooms, 4 baths
* 3,688 square feet
* Designer kitchen with breakfast nook and formal dining room
* Bonus room, study room and game room
* Located in Overlook community in North Chattanooga