St. Jude’s Dream Home Giveaway
<p class="indent">Today, the winner of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway will be announced. (<em>Look for more details in tomorrow’s American Press</em>.)</p><p class="indent">The three bedroom, three full-bath, one half-bath house, located in the Lake Charles Graywood Community, has approximately 3,250 square feet of living space, almost 5,000 square foot total, under roof. It is appraised at around $550,000. Features include an upstairs game/media room, outdoor fireplace and kitchen, 14-foot living room ceiling and keeping room with fireplace.</p><p class="indent">Chris Salvador, Salvador Custom Homes is builder. Kim Salvador, his wife, and Lana Bodin, Moss Bluff Drafting, collaborated on the layout and floorplan. Kristian Salvador helped oversee design and interior details. Changing Spaces staged the home.</p><p class="indent">“In November 2017, my wife received a phone call from St. Jude,” Chris Salvador said. “They asked her if Salvador Custom Homes would be interested in being the builder for a dream home giveaway.”</p><p class="indent">Skepticism about a phone call seemingly out of the blue turned into honor as they found out more about how St. Jude raises money through the home giveaway and how that money saves lives.</p><p class="indent">“The concept actually began in Louisiana,” Chris said, “in Shreveport.”</p><p class="indent">The family’s visit to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital did more than convince them to take on the task. The family has become ambassadors for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s work.</p><p class="indent">“St. Jude is truly leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer,” said Kristian Salvador. “They don’t monopolize research and findings. They make it available. When they opened, two out of every 10 children treated survived. Now that percentage has flipped. Eighty percent survive and they’re committed to continuing their work until no child dies from cancer.”</p><p class="indent">“No one pays a bill at St. Jude,” added Chris, “that includes family lodging as well as hospital costs. They treat the whole family because the stress of discovering a child has cancer can be hard on the family dynamic. We met a father who has been there 14 months. He’s only gone home three days.”</p><p class="indent">St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is currently assisting over 30 children in Southwest Louisiana and over 800 children across Louisiana.</p><p class="indent">Chris Salvador and his father, Edward, a multi-skilled craftsman, teamed up and built both their houses together about 25 years ago. Chris Salvador was working full time at Citgo.</p><p class="indent">Fixing up and flipping houses and apartments fueled Chris’s passion for construction. He left his plant job. Now he has 100 new builds and 50 remodels under his belt. The company also builds industrial warehouses in Sulphur.</p><p class="indent">Chris, Kim and Kristian agree that this project, more than anything, has been a humbling experience, from their visit to the facility where they found a close-knit and caring staff who makes families and children fighting cancer feel at home to the response of local tradesman and suppliers.</p><p class="indent">The Salvadors hosted a dinner in February, inviting subcontractors and trade partners to be a part of the dream home project.</p><p class="indent">“We sent out 75 invitations and expected 25 to show up,” he said. Ninety showed up. Their response was overwhelming. The project would have not been a success without the donation of their time and labor and the help of our sponsors.”</p><p class="indent">If you didn’t get a ticket this year, don’t despair. The Salvadors are already planning next year’s St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway and looking for the ideal spot to build it. Contributions are tax deductible. Those interested in helping with the St. Jude Dream Home project can contact Chris at (337) 485-2113.</p>