BOISE, Idaho — Diana Rogers-Gray of Boise learned that she was the lucky winner of this year's St. Jude Dream Home. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home is valued at nearly $625,000 and is equipped with numerous other amenities.
Rogers-Gray and her husband Bill saw their new home in person for the first time on Monday.
"You think when you buy a ticket there's never a chance," she said. "I never really expected it to happen."
Rogers-Gray turned on the TV several minutes before 6 p.m. on Sunday night. As the winner of the Ford F-150 pickup truck was selected, she called for her husband. The two watched as the moment of truth approached.
"She was rolling the thing around and then she reached in," Rogers-Gray said. "I thought, 'There's no way she's going to pick out my ticket.'"
When the announcer said "Diana", she and her husband looked at each other.
Then the announcer said "Rogers-Gray."
"After that, I was like, 'Am I dreaming? This doesn't seem real,'" she said.
"It's still hard to wrap your head around," Bill Gray said.
Rogers-Gray has purchased tickets for the St. Jude Dream Home for the last 13 years. She typically purchases two or three but was able to purchase more this year with her stimulus money.
"I do it because I love what St. Jude does for children," she said. "Every year I put a note on my calendar, 'Don't forget St. Jude's drawing is coming up' so I'm ready because I always want to be part of that."
Rogers-Gray thinks her new home is absolutely stunning.
This year's Dream Home Giveaway raised $1,777,777 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital whose mission is to find cures for childhood cancer through research and treatment.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: