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The 5th Annual NHI Dream Home would like to thank
the following companies for their generous donations and ongoing support. |
Bella Casa—Italian for Beautiful House. What an appropriate name for a home, not only beautiful to look at, inside and out, but helping to do beautiful work for those suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and other blood-related cancers. The 5th Annual New Homes & Ideas Dream Home was indeed a Mediterranean dream, an Italian pallazina on the grandest scale, in a setting to match. Master homebuilder Bost Custom Homes teamed with Chatham Development Corporation, developers of the stunning gated new-home community, The Hills of Rosemont, and this magazine to raise $315,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Eastern North Carolina. “This year alone, over 100,000 Americans will be diagnosed with blood-related cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma,” reports Tiffany Drummond-Armstrong, campaign manager for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “One person dies every nine minutes from one of these, and leukemia is the number one disease killer of children under the age of 15.” But the Society has made great strides in battling these deadly cancers since its inception in 1949. The world’s largest voluntary health organization, the Society’s mission is to ultimately cure blood-related cancers. To that end, it has provided more than $360 million for research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma and helped to raise survival rates by as much as 50%. And until cures are found, the Society is dedicated to improving the quality of life of patients and their families. Patient services include an extensive information resource center, with the latest information about blood-related cancers, treatments, prognoses and clinical trials, as well as insurance coverage, healthcare facilities, and information on obtaining support. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society also advocates to increase influence with private and public organizations to promote public policy positions that will accelerate progress toward cures, by increasing federal funding for biomedical research and collaborative public-private sector research efforts. Patients’ access to high quality healthcare through patient protection legislation is another goal of the Society. This organization enjoys an extremely low cost of administration ratio, with over 76% of every dollar raised going toward research and patient services. And an astonishing 95% of the revenue generated by the NHI Dream Home will be put directly to work toward the Society’s goals. Hundreds of researchers doing basic and translational research into cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma are supported. Grants for research at the forefront of blood-related cancer science are underwritten, and a range of conferences, meetings, Webcasts and teleconferences are sponsored each year for physicians, researchers and healthcare professionals. The Face of Inspiration
Sherilyn was just 11 when a sore neck, a rash and a low-grade fever led to a diagnoses of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). For six months, Sherilyn spent most of her time hospitalized, undergoing aggressive treatment for her cancer. But you’d never guess that. Sherilyn talked excitedly last fall about a trip to Tweetsie Railroad, schoolwork and movie star Johnny Depp—ordinary teenage girl chatter. “I have a picture of Sherilyn taped to my computer monitor,” says Rex Bost, president of Bost Custom Homes. “I looked at it every day during this project, and for me, she represented the thousands of kids who are struggling with these cancers, and it just made me all the more dedicated to helping them.” This was a sentiment echoed by many of those involved. John Huston, Bost’s project manager for the NHI Dream Home kept a picture a Sherilyn in his wallet, as did Patrick O’Neal of Chatham Development Corporation. “Sherilyn was just the personification of why we were doing this,” says O’Neal. “Part of the reason we believed so strongly in the project was that we all felt like our efforts and our dollars were really going directly where they were needed.” Chatham Development showed this support by kicking off the NHI Dream Home with a $50,000 donation to the Society. Many Helping Hands And Bost Custom Homes stepped right up to the plate as well, pledging another $50,000 at the home’s sale. “I knew from the start that this home would be a true showcase,” says Bost, “and I knew I wanted to be involved.” As plans for the home took shape, everyone involved was asked to contribute some part of their proceeds to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And contribute they did; from the concrete foundation to the plumbing fixtures to the home entertainment system to the swimming pool to the roof, subcontractors and suppliers gave and gave and gave. “We saw lots of new faces with this year’s project,” says New Homes & Ideas associate publisher, JT Cayton. “And folks who have been with us from the beginning, five years ago, stepped up to a whole new level of commitment.” The Mizner-inspired Mediterranean grand villa that was born of this collaboration was the very definition of a dream home. It’s hard to imagine what one could dream of that this home didn’t have. The three-level house encompassed more than 8,422 square feet and featured a grand staircase, walls of windows, a two-story living room, an ultra-gourmet kitchen, five bedroom suites, a wine cellar, family room, billiards & card room, home theatre and extensive outdoor living accoutrements. Different designers outfitted the interiors of the Bella Casa to suit its grand stature. Antique wood floors and elaborate faux finishes were complemented with elegant window treatments, gracious furnishings, stunning artwork and a host of eclectic accessories. “It was just incredible to see the designers all working together,” says New Homes & Ideas’ Cayton. “People who would ordinarily be in competition were sharing accessories and collaborating—it was so much in the spirit of the NHI Dream Home and what we were trying to accomplish.” More than 500 items from the home were sold at silent auction, with profits benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A black-tie gala, hosted by Chatham Development Corporation, marked the completion of this house of dreams. A live auction raised even more, with lively bidding for game balls signed by local collegiate celebrities, an entire kitchen of solid granite and a pair of Duke-Carolina basketball tickets. As many as 10,000 visitors toured the NHI Dream Home during the 2004 Parade of Homes, and it was awarded not only top honors in its category, but also the Best of the Best overall prize.
Perhaps the biggest miracle of all was the completion of a
project of this scope in a mere seven months. From foundation to fresh-cut
flowers in a crystal vase, progress was made at every stage with
engineering precision. “I’m just overwhelmed by how hard everyone worked,”
says Rex Bost. It just goes to show what can be accomplished when you have
a dream. ▪
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But
all of these facts and figures, impressive though they may be, pale in
comparison to the personal stories of people who are winning their battle
against leukemia or lymphoma, in part because of the work done by the
Society. Each of the five Dream Homes have honored one such brave young
person, and this year’s honoree, Raleigh middle-schooler, Sherilyn Adams
was truly an inspiration to everyone involved with the project.