THE KSN DREAM HOUSE FOR THE CURE

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KSN announces the Dream House for the Cure

by Leon Smitherman and Anita Cochran
KSN News

WICHITA, Kansas -- The Oaks in Derby is one of the most prestigious new developments in the area. It has a huge golf course and homes here are not cheap. In fact, the lot I'm standing on is worth $70,000. It's on this spot that we plan to make a difference to thousands of lives throughout Kansas.

The project is called the KSN Dream House for the Cure, and it's on this property that a house will be built like none you've ever seen before. And when it's sold, the proceeds will help find a cure for breast cancer.

More than 30 companies have agreed to donate time, materials and labor. The goal is for this entire home to be built with donated materials -- from the walls, to the roof to the floor, and everything in between.

When the house is finished, all the proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Homes in this area sell for at least $450,000, so if more of the KSN Dream House is built with donated material and labor, then more of the final proceeds can go to research to find a cure for breast cancer.

Right now, we hope to present a check close to $500,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's a huge goal but one that we believe could change and even save lives throughout this area.

For years you've seen KSN and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Mid-Kansas affiliate team up to Race for the Cure. It's our one chance each year to raise money to fight breast cancer.

This year, KSN decided racing wasn't enough.

"My mouth just fell open. I just sat there with my mouth open. I couldn't believe it," said Teresa Carter, Mid-Kansas affiliate president.

KSN is spearheading a nine-month project that could result in the biggest donation ever to the Mid-Kansas Komen group. KSN's Dream House for the Cure involves building a nearly half million dollar home, partnering with suppliers and craftsman to donate labor and materials so that once the house is sold, proceeds can be used by Komen locally for the cure.

Our goal is 100% of the selling price to fight breast cancer. General Manager Al Buch says it's a natural fit.

"My wife is a breast cancer survivor," said Buch. "I've had two members of my family with gynecological cancers and it struck a nerve with me, obviously. It's one of those times you get all choked about it. If we can give that amount of money to this community through cooperation of the Wichita businesses -- our clients -- I'm thrilled."

"In our business we don't get those opportunities often so this is one way we can give back to the community," said Shamain Bachman, New Home Marketing.

The first step was finding someone to partner with. New Home Marketing did that by introducing us to Roger Weast, developer of The Oaks in Derby.

"Since about '86, we've given away three houses so this isn't totally new to us," said Weast. "We've never had a charity with such a good cause to work with though. We're excited."

Weast donated the lot and wasn't at all surprised that Nies Homes volunteered to build the home for free.

"We've just been through an experience with a really good friend of ours, a trim carpenter, who just lost his wife right around Thanksgiving," said Cheri Nies-Cowgill, vice-president, Nies Homes. "And I want to be involved in this to let people know you don't have to be old for breast cancer to hit. It hits younger women also."

Almost all of the people now involved have stories to tell about breast cancer and it's this project that will allow those stories to be told. KSN will update you weekly, not just on the progress of the home going up, but also on the progress breast cancer activists are making in finding a cure.

"Money is wonderful but we can spend all the money in the world and if a woman doesn't get her screening or do her breast exams or get her mammogram it doesn't do any good," said Carter.

"This has come to us as a gift and now we are very responsible to best care of that gift we possibly can do and that means impacting the lives of Kansans," said Peggy Johnson, education chair, Komen Mid-Kansas affiliate.

One way this project will impact lives directly is through mammograms. Komen already funds thousands of mammograms each year for women who can't afford them and this will help them do more.

In the meantime, as this house goes up, everyone who comes in contact with it will learn more about breast cancer. We will ask that the contractors, suppliers and the men doing the labor themselves go home and ask the women in their lives, 'have you had your mammogram?' Wives, mothers, sisters beware. We are building a house, but we honestly believe, that's also how we build a cure.

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