8 Finalists for 'My Comfy Home Coloring Contest'

This seems like a pretty blatant attempt at advertorial promotion! You nailed me on this one. Somebody on the list is from Dade City, about an hour away from where I live. I gotta support the home team. And if they win . . . “Cool!” — LD

Eight Finalist Families Competing
for a $15,000 Home Comfort Makeover;
Vote Deadline is Nov. 27

TYLER, Texas -- Constantly vacuuming, dusting and wiping down surfaces will soon become a thing of the past for one lucky family. American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning announces eight finalists in its My Comfy Home Coloring Contest and invites America to vote online at http://www.americanstandardair.com/comfy for the family they think is most in need of a home makeover valued at $15,000, including a consultation with home comfort expert and author Hannah Keeley. The deadline for voting is November 27, 2007.

The contest invited families to drop their dust cloths and pick up some crayons to work together on their entries. Parents or caregivers were asked to submit a 100-word essay on why they wanted to make their home more comfortable, and their child was asked to draw a picture of their home.

Judges sifted through entries from around the nation to select the finalists.

Americans are invited to view families' stories and illustrations online and vote for one of the following:

-- The Campagne family, Tucson, Ariz.
-- The Hernandez family, Dade City, Fla.
-- The Oakley family, Des Moines, Iowa
-- The Pieper-Hemmings family, Hendersonville, Tenn.
-- The Preston family, Willow Grove, Pa.
-- The Stannard family, Kent, Wash.
-- The Tuznik family, La Port, Ind.
-- The Wertanen family, Coloma, Mich.

Entries described and illustrated everything from an allergy-prone family of 10 that stirs up dirt, dust and dander, to a home with poor indoor air caused in part by two pet hamsters named "Munchkin" and "Luey."

One winner will receive a prize package that includes:

-- A complete home comfort system featuring the American Standard AccuClean(TM) whole-home air filtration system
-- A half-day in-home consulting session with Hannah Keeley
-- A signed copy of Keeley's new book, Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover
-- A Comfy Pajama Jam party for the kids, which includes $250 cash and eight American Standard goody bags

In addition, seven runners-up will receive a free, in-home assessment of their heating and air conditioning system; a $1,000 discount on a new American Standard comfort system; a signed copy of Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover; and a goody pack for kids. The winners will be named in mid-December. Americans are invited to check back on http://www.americanstandardair.com/comfy to see who wins.

Help Your Family Breathe Easier
The contest is designed to help families make their homes cleaner and more comfortable without all the trouble and time. Part of the solution is the American Standard AccuClean whole-home air filtration system, which removes up to 99.98 percent of the dirt, dust, pet dander and pollen from your filtered air.

"Less dirt in your air not only means a healthier and more comfortable living environment, but it means less house work because fewer dust particles settle on your furniture or get stirred up by your vacuum," says Joyce Warrington, brand director, American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning. "The My Comfy Home Coloring Contest is an opportunity for families to win a home comfort makeover and learn about easy tips they can implement."

About American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning
American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning provides air conditioning systems and services for residential and light commercial applications. The business is part of American Standard Companies (NYSE: ASD), which generated 2006 global sales of $11.2 billion. On Feb.1, American Standard Companies announced plans to separate its three businesses. Since then, the company completed the spinoff of its vehicle control systems business as an independent company known as WABCO (NYSE: WBC). The company also agreed to sell its bath and kitchen business to funds advised by Bain Capital Partners, LLC, and expects to complete the sale on or about Oct. 31. American Standard Companies plans to change its name to Trane by the end of this year and will continue to sell premium air conditioning systems and services under both the Trane(R) and American Standard(R) brands. In 2006, the global air conditioning systems and services business generated revenues of $6.8 billion with 29,000 employees.

SOURCE: American Standard Companies