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Of course, there’s the home itself—an 8,000-square-foot, $6.2 million Old World masterpiece boasting stunning views of Hillsborough Bay. But this eye-popping mansion is more than just another pretty edifice. It was conceived and constructed as a fund raiser for pediatric cancer research and help for the homeless.

And it’s a project into which builder Don Hughes of Donald C. Hughes General Contractor poured his heart and soul.

Hughes, a civic leader who has lived in Tampa for more than four decades, has been involved in organizations as diverse as the Palma Ceia Little League and the National Association of Home Builders.

He developed a love of architecture during his travels through the Mediterranean in the 1980s. Five years later, he founded a company dedicated to building beautiful, luxurious Old World-style homes with modern American comforts.

Kansas City-based TL Concepts created the Dream Home project, one of more than 30 similar projects it has carried out in markets around the country, linking upscale homebuilders with media partners—in this case, WFLA/Channel 8—to benefit charity.

As it happened, Hughes already had the home under way when he was approached by TL Concepts. He liked the fact that funds raised through admission fees, a gala and a silent auction would benefit two highly regarded local causes—Metropolitan Ministries and Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

“As nice as the house is, I’m particularly proud of the exterior space in the backyard,” says Hughes. “It’s a page right out of the Caribbean.”

With coconut palms, covered bar areas, water views and a Roman pool, there’s as much to keep family and friends outdoors as there is to draw them indoors. There’s also an over-the-top outdoor entertainment area with an oversized lanai, an outdoor kitchen and an elaborate outdoor bar.

Realtor Marie Preston of Preston & Farley can’t say enough about the home. “Besides it being magnificent, the location—a large lot on the waterfront—is such a big part of why this property works so well,” Preston says.

And the Dream Home is just as, well, dreamy, inside. “The finish work is exquisite,” Preston adds. “Lots of high-end properties today have a media room or entertainment room. But this one has an adult entertainment room and children’s den upstairs. There’s even a dedicated exercise room that overlooks the bay.”

Visitors paid $20 each over two weekends to tour the home while attendees at a separate gala raised money through a silent auction. Tens of thousands of dollars were raised for the two charities.

The Pediatric Cancer Foundation will use its share of the money to help fund research that may lead to a cure for childhood cancer.

The foundation recently launched the Sunshine Project, a collaborative research initiative that’s working to fast-track the development of desperately needed new drugs and therapies that could help hundreds of thousands of afflicted children.

This kind of initiative doesn’t come cheap, however: It’s estimated that the project will cost $5 million over the course of three years.

The target of Metropolitan Ministries is a bit different. For more than three decades, this venerable Christian organization has provided not only a roof but survival strategies to the homeless of Tampa Bay.

Metropolitan Ministries began in 1972 when 13 downtown churches came together to address homelessness. Today, the organization provides a raft of necessary services, including a food and shelter as well as classes on food safety and cooking on a budget. A pediatric clinic and a childcare center are also provided.

In 1998, the agency opened the Metropolitan Ministries Academy, a K-5 charter school, to serve the educational needs of the homeless students living in the shelter. Plans are under way to move into a new school building this fall, says Ana Maria Mendez, advancement associate at the nonprofit organization.

The relocation will allow the school to reach more students and families, says Mendez, with any funds raised going toward school building expansions, curriculum, facility improvements and a school bus.

For more information about the WFLA Dream Home and contractor Don Hughes, visit its official Web site at promos.tbo.com/dreamhome/index.htm.

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