BRADENTON, FL -- "Forever, it will change my life forever ... in a good way," said a jubilant Marsha Coulthard when learned she was the winner of the first ever HGTV Green Home located in the new development of Tradition Hilton Head, South Carolina. Coulthard, a 43-year old medical billing clerk and green enthusiast from Bradenton, Florida, was at home with her son and parents when HGTV's Chi-Lan Lieu knocked on the door to let her know that she won the HGTV Green Home grand-prize package valued at approximately $850,000. Her excitement at receiving the news was televised on the HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008 special on Sunday, June 8, 2008.
"I'm so excited. I can't tell you," said Coulthard. "I entered almost every day trying to win the home."
Coulthard, an avid HGTV viewer whose name was drawn from more than 21 million entries, previously lived in nearby Bluffton, S.C., and is excited for a chance to return to the area. Her excitement about the home is not only the location, but also the fact that it is green as she makes an effort to recycle, reduce and reuse. Her grand-prize package includes the new, eco-friendly and fully furnished low-country style cottage with just over 2,000 square feet along with a 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid.
"We were thrilled with the response to the first annual HGTV Green Home," said Jim Samples, president of HGTV. "The number of entries far exceeded our expectations and demonstrated that our viewers have an interest in pursuing a greener lifestyle. It is incredibly gratifying to HGTV to see that consumers turn to both the network and to HGTV.com as resources for accessible and eco-friendly approaches to living."
Located in Tradition Hilton Head of South Carolina, a 5,300-acre master-planned community near the popular beach resort of Hilton Head, the HGTV Green Home includes three bedrooms and two and a half baths and features both construction and design elements that are known to contribute to an energy efficient, cleaner and even healthier living environment.
"Tradition Hilton Head was the perfect community for our first-ever HGTV Green Home," said Samples. We wanted to select a community that demonstrated that you can live responsibly in a desirable location with modern amenities and the response to the giveaway indicated that we were successful."
About the HGTV Green Home
The HGTV Green Home received a significant Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. LEED for Homes, a voluntary rating system, is a project of the U.S. Green Building Council, and Gold LEED certification means that the HGTV Green Home meets stringent standards for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovative design. Online at HGTV.com/greenhome, viewers can still learn about the materials and processes that make the home green, and take a 360 degree virtual tour of the home. Whether constructing a new home or remodeling a current one, they can pick up green-building advice plus tips for earth-friendly decorating. HGTV's sponsor partners included: Shaw Industries, Inc., Sears, General Motors, SCJ, Kohler, Caesarstone and Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.
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