Fox Races Bobcat to Break Ground for 2015 Miracle Home

MIX 101.5’s Radiothon for the Kids at Duke Children’s Hospital won’t come around again until next February, but MIX Radio Traffic Supervisor/Asst Morning Show Producer Vanna Fox and the folks at Garman Homes are already working towards another record-breaking total. On Thursday, June 5, 2014, Fox joined in the groundbreaking for the 2015 Miracle Home.

“We kicked off the building phase for the Miracle Home by racing bobcats around the lot,” said Garman Homes Division Vice President Alaina Money. “We wanted to kick off the building phase with a bang and celebrate how excited we are to get to build this very special home. We’re not formal people, we like to have a lot of fun and this was a way for us to invite the team at Duke to get to know us a little better.”

The team had a great time kicking off what will culminate in a big contribution to help the children and families at Duke.

“Vanna has such a passion for Radiothon and Duke Children’s Hospital and we love her energy and we let that inspire us to bring our own flavor to the project,” said Money. “Being able to raise so much money for such a worthwhile cause makes us so incredibly happy. We just want every part of this project to be inspired by that happiness.”

Started in 2007, Garman Homes is a small local builder who will build about 90 homes this year.

“We get mistaken for a custom builder often because we have a pretty unique product and an intensely positive customer experience but we actually build quite a bit on ‘production’…our average sales price last year was $351k,” said Money. “We build homes in the $250-550k range. A lot of us came from national builders – we wanted to combine the efficiency of those larger builders with the personal touch of a small local builder to offer the best building experience in the industry.”

Garman Homes focuses on giving back to the community as part of their philosophy. Since opening, they’ve given back nearly $100k to Durham Habitat for Humanity.

“The opportunity to build the 2015 Miracle Home fits in nicely with our culture and commitment to giving back,” said Money. “We always want to reach beyond what feels possible at the time – the Miracle Home was no exception. It’s a very large undertaking but one we didn’t want to pass up…so we recruited help from our sister company, Go Realty.”

Jim Garman, the owner of Garman Homes, also owns Go Realty along with his partner, Kevin Woody. Go Realty also has a culture of giving back.

“For every transaction, each agent gives back $50 locally to the charity of their choice,” explained Money. “Go matches that $50 donation for a total donation of $100 locally on each transaction. Last year Go Realty gave back $60k locally. This year, a majority of the agents have agreed to designate the 2015 Miracle Home as their charity of choice. Together, we pledged $200k towards Radiothon.”

The 2015 Miracle Home is being built in Briar Chapel, a Newland Community in Chapel Hill. All the homes in Briar Chapel are Green Built homes. Find out more at www.briarchapelnc.com

“Every day, when I turn off my mic after the morning show, I go in search of a super hero cape,” said Fox. “I don’t wear the cape, I find super heroes in the corporate world who are dedicated to leaving their little corner of the world better than they found it. Sometimes I get really lucky…..as with Alaina Money at Garman Homes. Read her blog, Build Like A Girl, then spend 5 minutes with her. You will remember that life really is about unconditional love and support. And she just might make you too believe that the only way to break ground for a Miracle Home is to race her in a bobcat!”