2015 was a great year! As I look back, I can’t help but think about the lives that were impacted with the KENS 5/CPS Energy Mi Casa Makeover show on Great Day SA. Plus, for the very first time, a lucky customer was surprised with some COOL news just for attending one of our community events. I’ll tell you more about that later.
First, every year we surprise two lucky families with the news of a lifetime…”Congratulations you’re the winner of a Mi Casa Makeover!” Saying this short phrase and seeing their faces light up never gets old for me. And, last year was really special because it marked a major milestone. It’s been ten years since the program began, and 30 families have walked through the doors of their very own dream home makeovers.
In February 2015 we made our way to the Parra family’s home. They didn’t have a clue they would become the 29th winner of a Mi Casa Makeover. For Katherine, a mother diagnosed with MS, and her son, Erik, living with a rare bone cancer for the past three years, the news of a home makeover came at a time when they needed it most.
Many sponsors spent countless hours making over the Parra’s home and after four months they were ready to show the fruits of their labor to a family who was ready to get back home.
Cool Surprise
In between our two Mi Casa Makeovers, we hit the road to visit with our customers in a series of community events we called The Energy Savings Roadshow. The roadshows were designed to educate our customers about our Smart Grid Initiative and our energy-saving products and services. Hundreds turned out, signing up for money-saving programs and a chance to win a either a home energy performance test courtesy of Eco-Synergy Advisors or a HVAC tune-up from Champion AC.
Bertha Leal decided to attend to learn more about how to save energy and signed up for our giveaway. Little did she know she would be the winner of our grand prize – a brand new HVAC system valued at $7,500 – also courtesy of Champion AC. But rather than tell her over the phone, we decided to capture the surprise on camera. She never saw it coming.
The surprises just keep coming
Then, in September, we dropped a bombshell on Barbara Calloway and her family. Her story of struggle and survival gave us every reason to show up at her workplace and announce that she was our 30th Mi Casa Makeover winner.
For 29 years, Barbara says she lived in fear of an abusive husband. Afraid for her life and her children’s lives, she found ways to survive. Now it was time to help Barbara make her house into a home and deliver one of the most shocking makeovers we’ve ever had on the show.
Last year will definitely be one to remember for these families. As they enjoy what feels like new homes and a new AC system, my wish is for them to have a home that will offer years of comfort, energy and money savings, and, most importantly, joy.
A BIG THANK YOU to Champion AC for the Leal’s new HVAC and the many sponsors who made our Mi Casa Makeovers possible:
Alamo City Construction, U build It, Jon Wayne Heating & Air, Atlas Floors Carpet One, Amazing Siding & Windows, Basaldua Construction, Due West Foundation Repair, Kendal County Air, Aw Ready Plumbing, Mister Sparky, Mr. Appliance, Home Depot, The Grounds Guys, Rooms to Go, Champion AC
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