When 26-year old Pacific Beach resident Justin Parker bought a $150 raffle ticket to benefit the Ronald McDonald House charities, he was hoping to win an iPod ” but won a new pad instead.
Charity officials called Parker while he was barbecuing on a Sunday afternoon in mid-October and named him the winner of the Ronald McDonald “House for the House” contest and the potential new owner of a new condominium at The Legend, which overlooks at Petco Park, he said.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium is worth an estimated $800,000.
Other prizes included a $10,000 prize and a $15,000 prize with a second-place winner getting a new Toyota Camry. Smaller prizes were available, including an Apple iPod, he said.
“I really had no inclination whatsoever I was going to win anything”¦ but I never, ever thought I would actually win the whole thing,” he said.
Parker, who served four years in the Air Force, said he doesn’t usually participate in raffles unless it’s for a good cause.
Although he moved to Pacific Beach about a month ago, Parker said he is going to take his new winnings, although he doesn’t know if he will move into the condo. He said he just moved to Pacific Beach a couple of weeks before he won.
While winning a new home might seem like a dream come true, there is one catch ” he will have to pay taxes on the value of the condo.
Parker said he will have to report the home as income and would have to pay about $250,000 in taxes for his new prize. He said he plans to either sell the unit or rent it out.
“It’s not a bad problem to have,” he said.
The condo sits on the 15th floor of The Legend condominium complex, which lays claim to being the only residential building in the country located inside a baseball park. Parker said he would be able watch the Padres from the new place.
The 2007 House for the House Charities raffle has raised about $300,000 to build a new dwelling to house families whose children are being treated at nearby hospitals.
Bill Cegelka, development director for Ronald McDonald House, said in an email that the charity would not be able to fulfill its mission of providing care and support for families during the stressful times without people like Justin.
“We are very grateful that so many San Diegans supported the Ronald McDonald House by participating in the house raffle and we look forward to doing it again next year,” he wrote.
For more information on Ronald McDonald House charities of San Diego visit www.rmhcsd.org.