HBA - Home for the Holidays 2023

2023

Win this home!

A Gift of

Hope The HBA Charitable & Education Foundation and Make-A-Wish® Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana are once again raffling off a new home to make wishes come true for critically ill children.

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A Home for the Holidays

A Gift of Hope

COURTESY MAKE-A-WISH OHIO, KENTUCKY & INDIANA

I

t’s the most wonderful time of the year — because we get to partner with the Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland for the annual A Home for the Holidays raffle again! For the past four years, local craftsmen, corporate partners and other kind and caring people have come together to make wishes and someone’s dream of owning a brand-new home come true.

Thanks to the support of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland and all its partners, we’ve been able to grant more than 50 wishes for Northeast Ohio kids with critical illnesses, some of whom you’ll learn more about in the coming pages. Get ready to be inspired by their stories of courage and strength.

Make-A-Wish is about more than wish-granting; it is a global movement transforming lives through hope. In 2023, we celebrated our 40th anniversary and granted our 20,000th wish. After 40 years of wish granting, Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana has proven time and time again that light can shine in even the darkest and most uncertain times. This holiday season, thank you for helping give the gift of hope to children and families in our community.

Stephanie McCormick President & CEO Make-A-Wish® Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana

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A Home for the Holidays

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T Bryan K. Jensen Mayor City of Avon

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Avon Lake 440.934.1751

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COURTESY CIT Y OF AVON

he City of Avon is a suburb about 20 miles west of Cleveland with a population of just over 25,000 residents. We are so proud of our city’s toprated school system, excellent safety forces, expanding parks and green spaces, as well as our vibrant retail and business sector. In addition, the number of top-notch health care choices we have in Avon is something we never take for granted.

We are thrilled that the next HBA/Make-A-Wish A Home for the Holidays house is located here in our city. Make-A-Wish OKI, and its partner, the HBA of Greater Cleveland, are incredible organizations. Through their A Home for the Holidays partnership, they grant wishes to children with critical illnesses, bringing hope, joy and strength to them and their families during a very difficult time. Their work embodies the true spirit of compassion and community — two values that we hold dear in Avon.

It is our absolute privilege to be associated with an event that will have such a positive impact on these children who are facing such extraordinary challenges. The city of Avon is truly blessed, and we thank the HBA of Greater Cleveland for allowing us to be a small part of this very important program.

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A Home for the Holidays

&

Win a Home Support a Cause Find out how you could win a brand-new Avon home while supporting a good cause.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

T

he Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland’s Charitable & Education Foundation, along with Make-A-Wish OKI, are once again offering a chance to win a brand-new home through the annual A Home for the Holidays fundraiser. The purchase of a $100 ticket enters you into a raffle to win the $799,000+ home, located in Avon and custom-built by Rocky River-based Mancuso Homes.

Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Make-A-Wish OKI and HBA’s Charitable & Education Foundation. In addition to helping grant wishes to children battling severe illnesses, the raffle supports local charities as well as scholarships for students entering the construction trades industry.

BUY A TICKET Tickets: $100, with no purchase limit Online: HBAHomeForTheHolidays.org Order tickets by phone: 216-447-8700

WINNING TICKET Winning ticket will be drawn on Dec. 31, 2023 Winner will be notified by phone and by mail

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2023 H B A C E F

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COURTESY HBA OF GRE ATER CLE VEL AND

TOUR THE HOME Address: 33678 Via San Angelo Drive (Sublot 538) Avon, OH 44011 M, T, Th, F, Sat., Sun.: Noon-5 p.m.

Wed.: Noon-8 p.m.

Closed: Dec. 25 — Christmas Day Virtual Tour: HBAHomefortheHolidays.org

A Home for the Holidays

The Power of Wishes A Home for the Holidays makes dreams come true for children facing critical illness and their families. Prepare to be inspired and empowered by their fight — and deeply touched by their resilience.

STORIES BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE | PHOTOS COURTESY MAKE-A-WISH OHIO, KENTUCKY & INDIANA

One raffle ticket will unlock a brand-new Home for the Holidays while granting up to 20 wishes for critically ill children.

The fourth-annual Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland’s A Home for the Holidays fundraiser benefits MakeA-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana and the HBA Charitable & Education Foundation that supports workforce development.

“People really want to win a home, and they also really want to do good, and this is a way to do both over the holidays,” says Katie Ferrell, OKI spokesperson. As a 501(c)(3), fundraising opportunities such as this are essential for ensuring that Wish Kids can access life-changing experiences.

Last year, the house raffle raised $180,000 for MakeA-Wish, and the organization has exceeded the $500,000 donation mark since the fundraiser launched in 2020. That translates to more than 50 wishes for families in the region.

“The need for wishes is so great,” says Ferrell, noting that

the Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana chapter is the country’s largest, with 14 referring hospitals. “Public support year after year is so integral. While the kids are in a fight is when they need the dose of hope that a wish gives.”

About 80% of Make-A-Wish children eventually thrive to reach adulthood, “and so many of them tell us that their wish was the turning point in their fight,” Ferrell says.

The meaningful impact close to home is so important, says Brenda Callaghan, HBA of Greater Cleveland executive director. “Knowing that we are able to grant wishes to critically ill children in our own communities makes it even more special.

We’re proud to be a partner with Make-A-Wish,” she says.

Wishes are as wide-ranging as children’s creativity can span, from becoming a dolphin trainer for a day to holding a sloth, feeling sand on a beach or watching a favorite sports team play.

Meet five inspiring Wish Kids and the family members who share their experiences.

Under the Sea & Me Jaina Cormack

“When Jaina is home sick, feels terrible or is back at the doctor’s office to get labs done — she has been to the ER twice in the last month — we look through our Make-AWish book and it just warms our hearts and gives us hope,” says Lisa Cormack.

Jaina Cormack

Lisa and Douglas Cormack’s daughter, Jaina, 13, was diagnosed with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease at age 4. The inherited disease causes clusters of cysts to develop, mostly in the kidneys. The cysts cause the kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time. Other complications that Jaina deals with include high blood pressure, anemia and migraines. Currently, her kidneys are functioning at 40%. Once function declines to 20%, Jaina will go on a transplant waiting list.

Jaina’s wish was to become a dolphin trainer for the day. But you’re not supposed to swim with sea animals after the transplant due to a compromised immune system. So, Make-A-Wish made this dream come true in fall 2022 by sending the North Ridgeville family on vacation to Islamorada in the Florida Keys, where

they stayed at the Cheeca Lodge & Spa and interacted with dolphins at Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder.

On the way to the Keys, they stopped at The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida. “I got to adopt a turtle named April, and they send us a letter every four months to share how she is doing, so that’s really cool — a lasting experience even after the wish,” Jaina says.

At Islamorada, Jaina learned to perform tricks with the dolphins, along with feeding them and swimming with them. “I have a passion for all animals and would like to become a veterinarian,” she says.

At Islamorada’s Theater of the Sea, they painted with dolphins and sea lions, watched the live shows and met a nurse shark. The trip included a snorkeling adventure, too.

“It was so magical,” Jaina says.

We look through our Make-A-Wish book and it just warms our hearts and gives us hope.”

– Lisa Cormack

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A Home for the Holidays

We just love when he is laughing and smiling.

It never gets old.”

– Cheyenne Parker Weylon Parker

a feeding tube, and “he wholly depends on us to move him and do everything,” Cheyenne describes.

“We just love when he is laughing and smiling,” she adds. “It never gets old.”

That’s why the family chose a New Orleans riverboat jazz cruise as a wish for Weylon, a trip they took in November. Interviewed prior to their experience, Cheyenne says, “We are looking forward to doing something for fun that is solely for Weylon and does not revolve around the hospital or his health.”

Breathing in Life Annika Kelner

Music Awakens Smiles Weylon Parker

When jazz music is playing, 4-year-old Weylon Parker smiles and giggles as a sense of peace washes over the red-head’s face.

His parents, Cheyenne and Isaak, discovered their son’s interest in the genre by accident. “We happened to put some on, and he loved all the instruments, especially the saxophone, and we have been listening to jazz over the years,” Cheyenne says.

Weylon suffered a hypoxic brain injury at birth, and the Parkers were told he probably would not live through the night. After a month in the neonatal intensive care unit, the family returned to their home in Norton. “Being able to leave the NICU was a miracle,” Cheyenne says.

Because of his traumatic birth, Weylon has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, a permanent neuromuscular disorder that impacts all four limbs.

“Our whole life revolves around him, as anyone with a child would say,” Cheyenne says. “Weylon has taught us a lot — to not take life for granted and to make the best of every day. Even in the hard moments, we work through them.”

Weylon is a snuggler, and since he does not walk, he is mostly carried by his parents, though he has a standing frame he uses and a chair he prefers. He eats through

One day, with three older siblings home from school sick, Kourtney Kelner wasn’t surprised when her 3-monthold, Annika, came down with the same adenovirus. “But she started acting not quite right, so we took her to a local ER, and they sent her to University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center for precautionary measures,” says Kourtney.

Within 12 hours, Annika was expedited to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and intubated on life support. The prognosis plummeted.

“She was on palliative care, and we didn’t know if she was going to make it out of the ICU,” says Kourtney, who lived at the hospital with her daughter while her husband and other children were home in Jefferson, a village in Ashtabula County.

Annika was discharged after two months, and she went home with a feeding tube and oxygen, only to return to the hospital a week later.

“Our house was transformed into what looked like a hospital, with a ventilator, permanent IV line and oxygen, along with palliative care and therapy providers,” Kourtney says.

Annika has bronchiolitis obliterans, a terminal disease of which there is no cure.

One of the few treatments is a lung transplant. She was deemed a candidate.

“Then COVID happened. It was scary for everyone and nothing short of terrifying for us,” Kourtney says.

Finally, in September 2021, the family received a call. The transplant would happen. “Come now,” they urged.

After a 12-hour procedure through the night, the Kelners could finally lay eyes on Annika. “I’ll never forget walking into the cardiothoracic ICU and she is intubated with wires and monitors everywhere, a massive chest incision, and she opens her eyes and points at me and the tube, making a pulling signal. I’m like, ‘You will not pull that tube out.’ But all morning, she kept telling them to take it out.”

About seven hours after the transplant, the team agreed to remove the breathing tube. “They took it out, and she had this huge breath, and the biggest smile came across her face,” Kourtney recalls. “I started sobbing. It was the first time she could ever experience what it was to breathe in years.”

Now, Annika is 8 years old with a “ginormous” vocabulary and a side of sass, anyone who knows her would say, Kourtney laughs.

The family celebrated Annika’s two-year lung transplant anniversary in September, and her recovery has been remarkable. Her Make-A-Wish dream was multipronged.

“She is obsessed with sloths and watches a Annika Kelner

I don’t think people realize how much the wish impacts the entire family. We are so grateful for it.”

– Kourtney Kelner

HBAHomeForTheHolidays.org

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A Home for the Holidays

I don’t have it nearly as bad as others, so I wanted to give back to others.”

– Aidan McCabe Aidan McCabe

lot of zoo videos,” Kourtney says. She also wanted to visit a beach and feel the sand and water.

The family will visit a sloth sanctuary in central Florida where visitors can interact with the keepers and hold the animals, and the destination is on the way to Clearwater Beach, known for its fine white sand and warm salt water.

“Now we have something to look forward to together, having fun and doing something not medically related,” Kourtney says. “I don’t think people realize how much the wish impacts the entire family.

We are so grateful for it.”

Fueling Good Works Aidan McCabe

A wish to give back was fulfilled when Aidan McCabe, 14, decided to funnel his Make-A-Wish grant into a $5,000 gift for the University Hospitals Food for Life Market, which serves pulmonary or cystic fibrosis patients who are food insecure. He presented staff with a supersized, posterboard check during a celebration with the care team who has helped him since he was 10 days old.

Aidan, of Shaker Heights, lives with cystic fibrosis (CF), a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. The condition affects about 40,000 HBA10

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children and adults in the U.S. It’s a rare disease that Aidan’s family discovered during a standard newborn screen.

The disease causes a thick, sticky mucus to build up in the organs, creating complications “literally from head to toe,” explains Cari McCabe, Aidan’s mother.

The good news is, life expectancy is much higher with modern medications and treatments, including a vest Aidan wears twice daily that vigorously shakes his chest to loosen up mucus so he can express it. He takes approximately 12 medications a day, and daily nebulizer treatments aid with breathing.

Aidan says, “I don’t have it nearly as bad as others, so I wanted to give back to others.”

When deciding how to use the wish funds, he asked the social worker on his CF team how he could help the UH CF team and patients. “I just thought of all the people who are so kind to me, so I want to do something for them,” he says. “I really like food, and so I wanted it to be food-related.”

With his Make-A-Wish gift, “I hope to help people at UH and people with CF,” Aidan says.

An Eye on Winning

diagnosed with optic nerve glioma due to a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis.

In 2019, Chase’s teacher called Denise and reported that he had bumped into a chain-link fence. “He was running, playing and didn’t see it,” she relates. “They suggested we see an eye doctor.”

After an exam at Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute, the physician suggested performing an MRI on Chase’s brain. This imaging uncovered a tumor behind the optic nerve, causing him to be legally blind in his left eye with no peripheral vision.

Monthly chemotherapy for three years shrunk the benign tumor and halted its growth.

During chemo, Denise would encourage her son: “Don’t ever give up. You know you’ve got this.” Of course, there were days when it didn’t feel that way.

But, she says, “He was still being silly and trying to be active.”

Chase attends Meadowlawn Intermediate School in Sandusky, and the family is optimistic that his regular MRIs will continue delivering good news. Denise says, “It’s a big sigh of relief, even though we don’t know what is yet to come.”

Just seeing him have so much fun made us so happy.”

– Denise Highlander

Chase Miller

Before the Browns’ season kicked off, Chase Miller, 9, and his dad, Ryan Miller, were behind the gates with the team holding a No. 32 Jim Brown flag that Chase passed off to running back Nick Chubb.

The stadium roared with cheers and applause when Chubb ran out on the field — and Chase could hardly believe he was right there in the middle of the action.

The young fan’s wish was to see a Browns game at Cleveland Browns Stadium with his family. Not only did he attend practice the day before the opener, Chase met the team and rooted for them at the Sept. 10 game.

“Just seeing him have so much fun made us so happy,” says Denise Highlander, who says her third-grade middle child “has no fear.” This attitude certainly helped him manage through chemotherapy after he was

Chase Miller

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A Home for the Holidays

A WIN-WIN-WIN TICKET

The benefits of A Home for the Holidays are three-fold — help children receive a wish, support workforce development and potentially win a brand-new home.

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

’T

is the season for holiday gathThrough fundraising efforts, the HBA of erings, baking, gift giving — Greater Cleveland launched a pilot program and giving back. The Home at Mayfield High School called Pre-ApprenBuilders Association of Greatticeship Certified Training, or PACT, this fall. er Cleveland’s Charity’s annual A Home for “Funds from A Home for the Holidays the Holidays fundraiser is an opportunity have allowed us to pay licensing fees, equip to make a child’s wish come true and posthe students with tools and conduct hardsibly win a $799,000+, two-story home in hat tours, as well as hire a grant writer to Avon’s Red Tail community. grow the PACT program,” Callaghan says.

A $100 raffle ticket can instill hope in a Darren Mancuso, the home’s builder and critically ill child battling for better health, co-owner with Kate Mancuso of Mancuso thanks to the partnership with Make-AHomes, says the opportunity to make a Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana. Half of the remarkable impact on children’s lives and proceeds also go to supporting workforce promote the industry is a win-win. “It’s imdevelopment programs for skilled trades — portant to all of us involved,” he says. without them, we can’t build homes. In addition, funds benefit organizations such as Support the Cause Homes for Our Troops, Cleveland VA Fisher Someone must win. Why not you? Last House and the American Foundation for year, Karen Michalczyk of North Olmsted Suicide Prevention. purchased a ticket a few days before Christ“We feel very fortunate to help kids in our mas. “It was December 22, and I thought, communities, and our members feel close ‘This is better odds than playing the lottery, to the organization,” HBA of Greater Cleveand it’s for a good cause,” she says. land executive director Brenda Callaghan On New Year’s Eve, her sister’s friend says. During the last few years, A Home for texted her. “They announced on Channel 5 the Holidays has helped raise more than that the winner of the Make-A-Wish home $500,000 for Make-A-Wish OKI, amounting is Karen from North Olmsted. Is that you?” to approximately 50 wishes.

More than 40 HBA member compa“Knowing that we can grant wishes nies are involved in the project. “They to critically ill children in our own have been so generous by donating products and some providing labor, and they communities makes it even more realize that not only does it help Make-Aspecial. We’re proud to partner with Wish, but it also helps their industry by supporting the trades,” Callaghan says. the Make-a-Wish OKI that grants

Sure enough, she learned the next morning that her name was drawn for the $699,000 ranch home after spending just $100 for a ticket.

Last year, the HBA sold more than 12,500 tickets. The goal is to beat that number this year.

“This event has truly become a staple in Northeast Ohio, and the wishes we have been able to grant because of it are transformational,” says Katie Ferrell, spokesperson for Make-A-Wish OKI. The home also presents a showcase for opportunities in the trades, with the HBA running regular student tours during the construction process.

Callaghan sees a reemerging “makers’ market” and appreciation for careers in the trades. “We believe when kids pursue a career in the trades, they usually stay in their communities, so it keeps talent here, and we also encourage entrepreneurism,” she says.

Tour the Home

Guests spend an average of 45 minutes taking in all of the home’s spaces and features. Last year, more than 3,000 visitors toured the home, and Callaghan expects close to 5,000 this season.

“I encourage people to go into the home to find out about the latest features in residential construction,” she says, adding that literature in the home will offer details on participating suppliers and materials. Fish Furniture will give a $100 coupon with any purchase of $399 or more to every person who tours the Red Tail property.

The home is open to the public daily beginning Nov. 25 through Dec. 31, from noon to 5 p.m. (8 p.m. on Wednesdays).

Tickets are available on-site or online at HBAHomefortheHolidays.org.

wishes here in Ohio.”

– BRENDA CALLAGHAN

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For more information, visit HBAHomefortheHolidays.org

A Home for the Holidays

HOME SPOTLIGHT

A bright and airy two-story foyer welcomes guests into the home.

Tour the custom new home in Avon daily from Nov. 25 through Dec. 31.

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

COURTESY HBA OF GRE ATER CLE VEL AND / COURTESY FISH FURNITURE

C

lassic craftsmanship and transitional European aesthetics define this year’s custom-built A Home for the Holidays raffle house, which benefits Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana (Make-A-Wish OKI) and the Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland’s Charitable & Education Foundation. Built by Mancuso Homes and located in Avon’s Red Tail community on a lot with pond views, the 3,100-square-foot, four-bedroom home with three and a half baths includes a three-car garage and all the trappings of easy-going, luxury living.

Natural light pours into expansive windows, some floor-to-ceiling. An open firstfloor plan accommodates entertaining while offering the privacy of a dedicated office.

“It’s for today’s living,” says Darren Mancuso, who started Mancuso Homes with wife, Kate Mancuso, to specialize in buying, selling and renovating distressed properties throughout Northeast Ohio. The company expanded to become a full-service design-build construction company with a portfolio of hundreds of properties.

Lately, Avon is a frequent ask from buyers and those desiring a new build, Darren says.

The site, in an area of Red Tail with only a few available lots, will land the winner of this year’s A Home for the Holidays raffle in a

prime location. “There is golf, a swimming pool, social events and a lot of activities in the community,” says Darren, who starred with Kate in HGTV’s Gut Job. Designed by Daniel Posar of Planworks LLC, who donated his time and experience, and other sponsoring HBA members who donated or discounted materials, the home came to life thanks to the hearts of many. Here’s a sneak peek tour of its stand-out features.

Fish Furniture chose warm tones for furnishings.

A Grand Welcome

The home’s white brick exterior is complemented by crisp, white trim and custom features, such as a copper-roofed front porch that shelters the front door. The home’s combination of long-and-lean and generous rectangular windows lend a European feel.

Entering the home, a two-story foyer with an over-the-post balustrade system creates a continuous section of handrail. It draws the eye up to an open second floor with hallways in hardwood that match the main level’s surface for a seamless finish.

Designed for Easy Living

“Gone are the days of walk-by rooms — every room has its purpose,” says Kitty Bracey, buyer and merchandiser at Fish Furniture, which staged the interior furnishings.

In this home, the main level is outfitted for work, play, entertaining and everyday family

life. An office with a vaulted ceiling can be sealed for privacy with French, glass-plated doors that offer an open feel.

“One-time formal dining and living rooms have morphed into craft areas, office spaces and playgrounds,” Bracey adds.

The entry flows into a great room and kitchen, with hardwood flooring throughout in a timeless maple-stained color.

Coffered ceilings in the great room add interest, and all walls are awash in Sherwin-Williams’ Classic Gray, a very bright HBAHomeForTheHolidays.org HBA13

A Home for the Holidays shade that also functions as white. A fireplace with a quartz surround and painted-wood mantel sets the stage for a relaxing conversation space with cozy furnishings.

An adjoined dine-in area features a live-edge table with ivory-colored upholstered seating that flows into the kitchen.

Another highly functional feature for families: a first-floor laundry and mudroom landing spot off the garage, equipped with a bench and hooks, along with a folding area and storage.

Warm wood cabinets and quartzite countertops, plus an oversized island, create an inviting kitchen.

A Classic Kitchen

Bracey adds, “The beautiful brown tones the builder selected for flooring and some cabinetry allowed us to incorporate a warmer, organic flavor with hints of modern peeking through. Rich whites to soft ambers, different mediums providing depth — the mixing of wood tones and shades of metal all create a unified sense of comfort and style.”

Flexible Space Upstairs

A bonus room is staged for fun and games with seating, but anything goes. The

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Warm wood cabinets by Sims-Lohman Fine Kitchens and Granite complement white, quartzite natural stone countertops with camel veining. The wood range hood and off-white, larger-format subway tiles add a unique touch.

The perimeter cabinetry is French vanilla-colored with a Shaker inlay, while a roomy, eight-foot island accommodates plenty of seating and a generous amount of storage.

“For fixtures and hardware, we chose mixed metals in antique brass and polished nickel,” Kate says.

The kitchen floor is a consistent hardwood to emphasize the open floor plan.

space could serve as a guest’s living room or a play area.

Three bedrooms on the second level include a guest suite with an attached full bath. A Jack-and-Jill bathroom connects the other two rooms.

Fish Furniture outfitted the guest suite with a queen-sized bed featuring an upholstered headboard, and furnished a child’s room with a full bed. “The room is feminine with soft lines,” Bracey describes.

Guiding the home from design to completion is fulfilling, Darren and Kate say. “But the most gratifying thing is when we get to present the check from the fundraiser’s proceeds at the Make-A-Wish gala and meet the Wish Kids,” Kate says. “To connect with them is inspiring, and we think about them as we are working on the designs.”

Darren adds, “The impact is huge, and we are fortunate to do something like this that can help so many kids.”

The project’s partners and sponsors share this sentiment. “We are so grateful to be able to help,” Bracey says. “Dan Geller, the third-generation owner and true heartbeat of [Fish Furniture], is very philanthropic and loves to help with these types of projects. It means a lot to us to give back.”