Proceeds from Tours of HGTV Green Home to go to United Way of the Lowcountry will be the charity recipient of ticket proceeds from the HGTV Green Home public tours to be held Monday, March 24 – Sunday, May 18 at Tradition Hilton Head on U.S. Highway 278, just east of SC Exit 8 on Interstate I-95.

 

       “We are extremely pleased to have United Way of the Lowcountry on board us for this outstanding event,” said David Page, Tradition Hilton Head President. “It’s a natural partnership in that both of our organizations are committed to healthy communities. We look forward to other ways we can work together for the good of this area.”
    Page said Tradition Hilton Head expects as many as 40,000 visitors to tour the HGTV Green Home according to projections by the television network and noted that United Way of the Lowcountry will receive a significant portion of every $20 ticket sold.
    “It is obvious that our involvement with the HGTV Green Home allows us to showcase our community’s environmental commitment”, said Page, “but we also believe that part of being a green community is the willingness to contribute to the health and well being of the surrounding region, and that’s why the United Way is such a deserving charity to be involved with. They fund 39 area agencies which provide a wide variety of services, assistance and shelter to both the young and the old, all races and creeds.”
    
    Big Boost to Fundraising :
 Jill Briggs, executive vice president for United Way of the Lowcountry said: “This is a thrilling opportunity for us to share in such a stupendous event that will not only be a great boost for this area, but will also mean so much to our 2008 fundraising campaign”. Ms. Briggs noted that the organization expects to have more than 100 of its volunteers on hand to help during the eight-week public tour phase of the event.  “Their initial training has already begun”, she said.”
Tradition Hilton Head is a distinctive 5,300-acre, sustainable master-planned community being developed by Core Communities of St. Lucie, FL.
     Being selected as the location for HGTV’s first green home has been truly an honor”, said Page. “Core Communities has long been recognized nationally for its commitment to environmental stewardship.  We place great importance on protecting the natural environment in the communities we develop. Our new leadership in ‘green design’ is just part of the responsible way we choose to conduct business.”
    
    Showcasing Green Building :
     HGTV  President Jim Samples said his network “is aware that many of our viewers are interested in hearing more about green lifestyles and the Green Home Giveaway provides an excellent opportunity to showcase examples of affordable, accessible and eco-friendly approaches to living.”
    At just over 2,000 square feet, the fully-furnished home in the heart of Tradition Hilton Head includes three bedrooms with 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.
    The HGTV Green Home has been registered to receive a significant LEED-H (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.  LEED for Homes, a voluntary rating system, is a project of the U.S. Green Building Council, which plans to launch a nationwide residential LEED certification program later this year.
    Marty Sauls, Tradition Hilton Head’s Director of Public Relations, noted that in addition to the Green Home itself, Core Communities has constructed a “Green Preview Center” which will help educate visitors about the significance of “building green” as well as the important aspects of a green community like Tradition, and how individual citizens can live more “green” themselves.
    Officials at HGTV said viewers of the Green Home 2008 Special on Sunday, March 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT will get the first on-air tour of the home – a traditionally-styled Lowcountry cottage. During the HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008 (sm), viewers can enter to win the home and prize with a packaged value at approximately $850,000. The HGTV Green Home Giveaway will complement the 12th annual HGTV Dream Home Giveaway.                                   

About Tradition Hilton Head  :Located between historic Savannah, Ga., and the resort community of Hilton Head Island, in the city of Hardeeville, S.C., Tradition Hilton Head is a 5,300-acre master-planned, mixed-use, community unlike any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Developed by Core Communities, it is considered a “sustainable community” providing the convenience and rewards of a total town living environment, featuring a variety of neighborhoods and housing styles, shopping and dining in a charming Village Square, a luxurious Fitness Center & Spa and the Tommy Fazio-designed Tradition National Golf Course. Tradition Hilton Head is located at 3171 Independence Boulevard, Hardeeville, S.C., 29927. For more information, call (866) 459-1422 or visit www.traditionhh.com

About Core Communities:
 The award-winning developer of the St. Lucie West, Fla., Tradition Florida and Tradition Hilton Head communities, Core Communities’ mission is to create and develop master-planned, mixed use, total-living community environments throughout the Southeastern United States. Core Communities is located at Tradition Station, 10521 S.W. Village Center Drive, Suite 201, Port St. Lucie, FL, 34987. Visit Core Communities on the Internet at http://www.corecommunities.com.

About United Way of the Lowcountry, Inc:
An autonomous, locally-governed  501(c)3 non-profit organization which focuses exclusively on priority health and human service issues in Beaufort and Jasper counties: literacy, good health, adequate nutrition, safe shelter and poverty reduction. The organization funds 39 agencies and collaborates with many others that provide a wide variety of services, including emergency assistance and shelter, training for the mentally and physically disabled, nutritious meals for the elderly, shelter for abused women and children, and character-building programs for youth. United Way of the Lowcountry ensures that its funded programs and partnerships make a measurable impact in Beaufort and Jasper counties.
The United Way Community Investment process is a signature program that does not occur any place else. All agency applicants, whether based in Beaufort or Jasper County, must participate in the Community Investment review process to receive United Way of the Lowcountry funding. Agencies are required to measure the impact of their programs on the lives of their clients in both the short and long term. For more details visit the website: www.uwlowcountry.org

About HGTV:
 HGTV is one of cable television’s top-rated networks, distributed to more than 95 million U.S. households. HGTV’s website, HGTV.com , is the nation’s leading online home and garden destination which attracts an average of 5.4 million unique visitors per month.  
For more information, call 208-5300.