The Acadiana St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway Celebrates 30 Years

The 2025 St. Jude Dream Home, located at 628 Greyford Drive in Lafayette’s Greyford estate subdivision, is valued at over $1 million dollars. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the dream home in Acadiana, the 15th built by McLain Homes and more than $20 million raised by the company for St. Jude.

In the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, real estate developer Brian McLain received a request from the pediatric cancer charity, St. Jude: Would he donate a lot for their annual Acadiana St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway? At the time, like many developers, McLain faced stalled projects and unsold lots — specifically in his upscale Vintage Park development in Lafayette. “We couldn’t sell any lot,” says McLain. “I still owed a lot of money to the bank on the development.” McLain approached the bank with his idea to donate all

or part of a lot to St. Jude. In the end, McLain and his wife donated their portion of the lot, $50,000, to St. Jude. The following year, the market had begun to improve. “I was still broke; I was still hanging on by a thread, but somehow or another I was able to craft a deal and buy this subdivision,” says McLain, who bought the new Grand Pointe development out of bankruptcy. “The very first thing I did once I got it was to call St. Jude and say, ‘Hey guys, I have a lot for you for next year’s dream home’.” It turned out, St. Jude also needed a builder for the home and asked McLain to do it. After talking it over with his wife, McLain said yes and they have continued to donate the lot, build the dream home and fundraise for the cause ever since.

Designed by architect Jarod Hebert, the home has 3,300 square feet of living space, with over 5,000 square feet under roof, and showcases a contemporary transitional style. “Every year I tell [everyone] this is the best one we’ve ever built,” says Brian McLain. “This is the best one we’ve ever built. I promise you.”

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the dream home in Acadiana, the 15th built by McLain and more than $20 million raised by the company for St. Jude. McLain says his role as a builder is “not to pay for anything.” Rather, he secures donations, rallies other companies to contribute and maximizes the funds raised through ticket sales.

This year’s Dream Home, located at 628 Greyford Drive in Lafayette’s Greyford Estate subdivision, is valued at over $1 million dollars. “Every year I tell [everyone] this is the best one we’ve ever built,” says McLain. “This is the best one we’ve ever built. I promise you. We already have a custom client we’re building this same home [for] with a few minor modifications.” Designed by architect Jarod Hebert, the home has 3,300 square feet of living space and over 5,000 square feet under roof and showcases a contemporary transitional style. The exterior features white-painted brick, stucco and handmade cypress garage doors, with meticulously crafted details.

Inside, the four-bedroom home has three full baths and two half baths. A groin-vaulted foyer leads to a dining room. To the right, two bedrooms share a full bath, each designed by one of six different design companies, while still creating visually cohesive spaces. To the left, the main living area features a cathedral ceiling with wood beams and a wall of windows. The primary suite includes vaulted ceilings, hand-painted murals and a bathroom with a freestanding tub, a steam shower and a hand-painted groin ceiling.  The kitchen has 12-foot cabinets and a copper hood. A paneled archway with hidden doors leads to a half bath and a pantry, which connects to a scullery and the outdoor kitchen. McLain notes the scullery has glass in the ceiling “that just glows like stars.”

For ticket buyers, the annual giveaway is more than just a chance to win a house; it’s an opportunity to support a vital cause. The McLains learned quickly that it was easier to reach their goal if they fundraised year-round, so while this year’s winner has already been announced, tickets for the 2026 dream home, located in Magnolia Trace in Broussard, are available for purchase online at $100 each (a price that hasn’t changed in 30 years). Year after year, the McLains’ goal is to ensure that proceeds from the 13,500 tickets sold go directly to St. Jude, a cause that has become close to his heart.

In the kitchen, 12-foot cabinets are juxtaposed against a bay of windows that arch at the top and span from the counters to the ceiling. The gourmet gas range is punctuated by a copper hood. A paneled archway with hidden doors leads to a half bath and a pantry, which connects to a scullery and the outdoor kitchen.

“Even when times are tough, I’ve always felt like I’ve been super blessed,” says McLain. “It was not the best of times to be giving a lot away, but I felt honestly, God was calling me to do something bigger than me. There’s still so much work to be done. Two out of 10 young children don’t make it, and until we get it to where 10 out of 10 make it, there will always be a dream home.”