BOISE, Idaho — It's not every day you get to help giveaway a dream home.
But that's exactly what KTVB and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital did Sunday night on live TV.
Only 11,077 tickets were available to win this year's Dream Home, and a Boise woman was the lucky winner.
We were with her Monday as Sheryl Messinger got a first look at her new home in Meridian's Hillsdale Creek community.
It's a lot to take in for Sheryl and her husband Steve - a brand new home. And not just any home -- it's the St. Jude Dream Home.
“We're amazed at the amount of work, effort and the fun things that they've put in the house," said Sheryl Messinger.
Builder Joe Atalla with Berkeley Building Company showed them all the new features.
Sheryl was one of the 11,077 people who bought a $100 ticket for a chance to win the St. Jude Dream Home.
“When I bought the ticket, we'd been looking at houses cause ours is getting older. And I said, ‘mom I'm going to buy a ticket and win a house,’ and she said, ‘OK hmmm,’" Sheryl said.
This was the first year the retired nurse of 38 years bought a ticket to win the St. Jude Dream Home. She wanted to last year, but tickets were sold out early. So she made sure to buy one this year.
Sheryl had just gotten home Sunday when we drew her name live on KTVB. Her phone lit up with text messages from friends.
“I got a text from one of my friends and I thought it was a spoof,” Sheryl said. “I thought this can't be right, so my husband got on the computer and said, ‘honey we won.’ So that was great."
And of course, she had to call her mom and tell her the news.
"So I called her last night and said mom guess what I won the house. And she just about lost it,” Sheryl said.
Proceeds from the St. Jude Dream Home giveaway go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to help fight childhood cancer.
Be sure to buy your tickets early to win next year’s St. Jude Dream Home.
We sold out of tickets this year in record time -- in just four days!