After more than a year of planning, months of construction and input from thousands of Americans, the doors to the 2005 Better Homes and Gardens® Better Home Better Living™ House: America’s Home™ - being built at the award-winning Hedgewood Homes/Vickery Development in South Forsyth County – will soon open.

On Saturday, September 10, residents of Forsyth County will be among the first to capture a glimpse inside this innovative home with free tours as part of “Cumming/Forsyth County Day”- a special day of family fun, food, children’s activities, live entertainment and tours of the Better Homes and Gardens house presented by Forsyth County and the City of Cumming, and sponsored by Hedgewood Properties, Cumming/Forsyth Chamber of Commerce, Jumpsters, Forsyth County News, Tam’s Backstage Restaurant and Medallion Performing Arts Center.

“The national recognition and prestige that comes with having America’s Home built right here in Forsyth County is a tremendous honor and one that we wanted to share with all the residents of Cumming and our great county of Forsyth,” said Brian Tam, Forsyth County Commissioner – District #2. “We hope that soon all of America will know and appreciate the award-winning home design, livability and affordability that come with being a resident of Forsyth County, Georgia – home to everything that truly embodies America’s Home.”

The Cumming/Forsyth County Day is a free family event for Forsyth County and Cumming residents that kicks off a month of public tours of the home. With America’s Home now complete, Better Homes and Gardens will be giving the home away to a lucky winner in October.

In addition to the tours of America's Home, Cumming/Forsyth County Day will include an official ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony attended by state and local dignitaries, kids activities including jumping castles, inflatable slides, cotton candy and popcorn provided by Jumpsters, along with children’s games, face painting, and arts and crafts activities provided by Abrakadoodle. Prizes from several local businesses, including The Mint Tulip, The Pet Basket and Weekenders Fashions will be raffled off, and food will be provided by Tam’s Backstage Restaurant with all proceeds going to the United Way of Forsyth County Hurricane Relief Efforts.

Live entertainment will be provided by two popular bands – Atlanta-based classic memories band, “The Frogz,” and bluegrass duo, “Wild at Heart,” along with performances by the Cumming-based Medallion Performing Arts Center.

An exciting wildlife program, featuring a trained falconer will demonstrate the “Flight of Birds of Prey,” along with a hands-on reptile demonstration provided by the Georgia Center for Wildlife Education. Freedom, the bald eagle; and Spirit, the Atlanta Hawks mascot, also will be on-hand to entertain guests.

Attractions will include static displays of Engine or Ladder companies from the Forsyth County Fire Department and K-9 and S.W.A.T. demonstrations from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department. Representatives from Forsyth County School Systems will be available with their technology exhibit, along with Keep Forsyth County Beautiful, Forsyth County Government/Impact Fees and the Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department.

And be sure to stop by the CummingHome.com booth, where we will be giving away koozies and American Flags while supplies last. Find out how you can be added to our e-mail list to receive regular updates on all the latest news in Forsyth County.

Hedgewood Properties – co-founded in 1985 by award-winning builder, Pam Sessions, and her husband, Don Donnelly - was selected by Better Homes and Gardens magazine to design and create the Better Home Better Living House: America’s Home over dozens of other respected home builders across the United States. Hedgewood homes have become easily recognizable in Forsyth County and across metro-Atlanta by their unique charm, use of Earth-friendly “green” materials and wide variety of housing styles.

Last year, Better Homes and Gardens surveyed more than 60,000 readers across America to identify the top characteristics that were most important to them in a home. Among the top five key trends that survey respondents desired were: affordability, flexibility, indoor/outdoor livability, innovation and kitchen-centricity. All of these elements are incorporated into America’s Home.

Discovery Home Channel recently launched a 10-part series, Building America’s Home on August 19th and will run on Fridays at 8 pm ET/PT through October 21st. The crew has been on-site at Vickery throughout the building process.

Registration for tours of the Better Home Better Living House: America’s Home on September 11th through October 9th is strongly encouraged and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket prices are $5/each. To reserve your tour online, log on to www.tours@BHG.com. Parking and shuttles will be provided, along with outdoor restroom facilities.

For more information on the Cumming/Forsyth County Day festivities, please visit www.hedgewoodhomes.com. Information also is available through the Cumming/Forsyth Chamber of Commerce at www.forsythchamber.org. You may also visit the Forsyth County web site at www.forsythco.com.

About Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens magazine, with a circulation of 7.6 million and a readership of 40 million, is America’s foremost home and family authority. Better Homes and Gardens is dedicated to the most important people and most important place in a person’s life—family and home. The Better Home Better Living Program includes: a six-part editorial series starting with the February 2005 issue; in-store “how-to” clinics starting in February 2005 at The Home Depot’s 1,700 retail stores nationwide; an original 10-part television series currently entitled, “Building America’s Home” filmed on location and premiering on the Discovery Home Channel in the fall 2005; a dedicated mini-site at www.bhg.com/win, where consumers enter to win every month for their chance to win a variety of monthly prizes including the Grand Prize. Enter to win a key which may unlock the door, a trip to Atlanta for the grand finale event on October 18th, a $500 gift card from The Home Depot and monthly prizes from our sponsors.

About Hedgewood Properties

Builder of the 2005 Better Home Better Living House: America’s Home, Hedgewood Properties, Inc. was co-founded in 1985 by award-winning builder, Pam Sessions, and her husband, Don Donnelly. Since that time, Hedgewood Properties has built and sold more than 2,500 homes. Hedgewood’s award-winning building styles focus on classic architecture and homes built in self-contained neighborhoods where services are integrated into the community and the environment is designed for multi-generational living. Hedgewood was named the national 2003 Builder of the Year by Professional Builder Magazine and is the recipient of numerous other prestigious awards and recognitions. New initiatives being implemented by Hedgewood today include Smart Growth developments that mix sustainable communities for both suburban and in-town homebuyers; and Earthcraft House program through a partnership with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association incorporating an environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient approach to new home construction. For more information on Hedgewood homes, please visit www.hedgewoodhomes.com or call (770) 889-3667.