Supermodel Cindy Crawford will help St. Jude's give away 28 dream homes

MEMPHIS -- Over two dozen lucky people throughout the country will be winning a beautiful "dream home" valued between $300,000 and $700,000. Supermodel Cindy Crawford and St. Judge Children's Research Hospital® have partnered to help in this effort through the St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway. By purchasing a $100 ticket, participants can win a home in their community and help St. Jude provide the best care to the world's sickest children at no cost to their family.

The program is personal for Crawford and combines her love of home design with her passion for St. Jude. Not only is she the mother of two children with two successful home collections (Cindy Crawford Style and Cindy Crawford Home), but she also lost her younger brother to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, when she was just 10-years-old.

"I know firsthand what it's like to lose a family member to this terrible disease, which is why I'm so committed to St. Jude's mission," said Crawford. "I just love the connection to what I'm doing in my life right now with the home goods business that is all about creating a home for your family. The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway gives families a wonderful opportunity to win their dream home while helping other families battling cancer at St. Jude."

When Crawford's brother passed away the survival rate for ALL was around just 50 percent. Today, thanks to St. Jude's pioneering research and care that is made possible through funds received through programs like the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, the survival rate for ALL is 94 percent.

"St. Jude is a home away from home for children and families during one of the most difficult times in their lives," said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "By purchasing a St. Jude Dream Home ticket, you can help St. Jude continue its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for kids battling deadly diseases like cancer while ensuring that no family ever pays St. Jude for anything."

The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is one of the largest single-event fundraisers for St. Jude, having raised more than $224 million for the hospital and awarded 280 homes over the past 20 years. A limited number of tickets are sold in each of the 28 markets and ticket holders also have the opportunity to win other great high value prizes including jewelry, electronics and furniture store gift certificates. Funds raised through the program directly support St. Jude's mission of finding cures and saving lives. Every child saved at St. Jude means thousands more saved worldwide because St. Jude speeds research discoveries directly from its lab to patients and doctors everywhere.

This year, Shaw Floors, the world's largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider, has partnered with St. Jude to provide flooring for each home. They join returning national sponsor Brizo, a premium faucet brand, as national sponsors by donating product to all St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway markets.

To find out if there is a St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway near you, visit www.dreamhome.org.

Since opening 50 years ago, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. Join that mission by visiting stjude.org or following us on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital