Grand Slam Inning a Slam Dunk for Grand Prize Winner

Contest winners Howard and Patty Keear with Killeen, Texas, General Manager Russell Triche

Patty Keear will never forget August 16, 2006. It's the day she said goodbye to mortgage payments and high energy bills, and said hello to a beautiful new Palm Harbor home. The lucky Kempner, Texas resident won a brand new home in Palm Harbor's "Grand Slam Inning" contest.

Palm Harbor Homes held a "Grand Slam Inning" contest throughout the 2006 Texas Rangers regular season. Participation required filling out an entry form (available at a participating Palm Harbor model center) and mailing the card to the designated radio contest coordinator. The radio announcers drew one entry form at random before each Texas Rangers regular season game. On the entry form, the contestant predicted a "grand slam inning." If a Texas Ranger hit a grand slam in the inning predicted, the contestant won a brand new Palm Harbor Home.

Mrs. Keear's entry form was drawn from a pile of hundreds before the Rangers game against the Los Angeles Angels in Arlington. On the card, she predicted a third inning grand slam. With the bases loaded in third inning, Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz cleared the fences (his first career grand slam). And Mrs. Keear won a new home.

The Keears visited the Killeen, Texas model center several weeks earlier. "We stopped by to look at the homes and I noticed the contest. I took home an entry form to fill out and send in. As I was completing the form, the number 3 stuck in my head. I figured there must be a reason, so I chose inning 3 for the grand slam. We're so excited!"

The Keears won a 4 bedroom, 2 bath Windsor Series (model 76I3) home built in the Buda, Texas, building center. The home features 2,356 square feet of living space, a built-in entertainment center and a fireplace. It also includes a dishwasher, range, side-by-side refrigerator and air conditioning.

Five homes have been won in the program's nine-year history. Palm Harbor conducted similar contests with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves