Florida Resident Wins HGTV Green Home in Tradition Hilton Head

Florida Resident Wins First HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008(SM)

BRADENTON, Fla., June 8, 2008 /PRNewswire

"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.

"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 the City of Hardeeville's Tradition Hilton Head, 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."

All eyes on HGTV Sunday evening to see who won the Giveaway Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head

Excitement is building for this Sunday evening’s announcement of the winner of the first-ever HGTV Green Home, located right here in the heart of the Lowcountry at Tradition Hilton Head.

“I hope everyone in the Lowcountry who loves homes and new communities tunes in to the show Sunday,” said Martin Sauls IV, public relations director for Tradition Hilton Head, the 5,300-acre master-planned, mixed-use, sustainable community in Hardeeville being developed by Core Communities.

“Anyone who is interested in new building designs and technologies, especially the new ‘green’ wave of building, should watch this show,” he said.

“The national exposure Tradition Hilton Head and Core Communities have received throughout this joint venture with HGTV has positioned our company as one of the most innovative in green technology and sustainable concepts in today’s market,” Sauls said.

The winner of the Tradition Hilton Head green home has been notified but is being kept secret until Sunday evening. “The show Sunday promises to be a nail-biter,” Sauls said.

The HGTV Green Home Giveaway winner special airs at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

HGTV has been amazed at the public response to the green home program.

“We were thrilled with the response to the first annual HGTV Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head,” said Jim Samples, president of HGTV. “The number of entries far exceeded our expectations and demonstrated that our viewers as well as our advertisers 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 a resource for accessible and eco-friendly approaches to living.”

HGTV said 21 million entries were received to win the green home, a package valued at approximately $850,000. People could enter to win online once a day.

Tradition Hilton Head and Core Communities are creating an environmentally responsible community that attracted the attention of HGTV, leading the channel’s executives to choose the development for its first green home.

“Tradition Hilton Head is the perfect community for our first-ever HGTV Green Home,” Samples said. “We wanted to select a community that demonstrated that you can live responsibly in a desirable location with modern amenities.”

On Monday, June 9, there will be an online video at www.HGTV.com of the winner answering questions posted by the public recently at the Web site.

Nearly 10,000 people toured the HGTV Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head from March 24 through May 18. Some 150 United Way of the Lowcountry agency volunteers conducted the tours. Tradition Hilton Head contributed $94,000 to the United Way of the Lowcountry from proceeds collected during the public tours of HGTV’s Green Home here.