Rockland Business Hosts $20K HGTV Contest For Charity (VIDEO)

Want to win a $20,000 flooring makeover for your home? Here’s your chance and all it’ll cost to enter is a $10 raffle, which will be donated to People to People.

Paul Marks, owner of in Nanuet, donated to People to People and local food pantries last Thanksgiving.

“This year we wanted to do something bigger,” he said. “Immediately, I thought of something that could be done with a lot of publicity and could bring in a lot of money for .” A few months ago, he was watching HGTV (a home and garden network). He got the idea to give $10,000 worth of flooring away.

“I decided, let’s take it one step more and do it as a fundraiser for People to People,” he said. Since he’s shot commercials with HGTV star Taniya Nayak in the past, he looked into what the cost would be to have Nayak design the flooring makeover. That’s where the other $10,000 comes in.

“She’s really a sweetheart in person,” said Marks. In total, you can win a $20,000 flooring makeover that’s designed and overseen by HGTV's designer Taniya Nayak.

The sweepstakes runs until Oct. 26 and to enter, purchase a $10 raffle at Leader Carpet or at their website. The raffle sales will be donated to People to People, Rockland’s largest food pantry.

“It's a win-win  for everyone involved and we couldn't be happier to be bringing this into Rockland County,” said Marks.

After the sweepstakes ends on Oct. 26, the drawing will be done on Oct. 31.

Nayak will be at Leader Carpet on Nov. 3 to sign autographs, take photos with the public and meet the contest winner. She then will accompany the winner to his/her home to get started with designing their dream flooring makeover.

Marks told Diane Serratore, executive director of People to People, two months ago and “She was thrilled. She said no one locally has done anything this big for People to People.”

“I wanted to get this all together by the holidays and hand it over to Diane (Serratore) in early November, so it can help them out with thanksgiving and Christmas.”

After the winner is chosen on Oct. 31, Marks and his support staff at Leader Carpet have to work quickly. They have one day to get video and measurements of the winner’s home and an interview with the winner over to Nayak. Nayak will then be able to have a rough design gameplan when she arrives on Nov. 3.

“This is a big giveaway. We’re trying to get corporate sponsors also. We did manage to get a few local businesses to pitch in. Every penny is going to People to People.”

He’s spreading the word with TV commercials running in Rockland and Bergen counties as well as a lot of print ads and social media blasts. He also plans to set up kiosk tables to sell raffles in front of supermarkets around the county and Blue Hill Plaza over the next two months and will be at two Rockland Boulders games.

There will also be a block party at Leader Carpet from 1 – 3 p.m. on October 13 with a rain date on Oct. 14. The party will feature the Mighty Spectrum Band.

“I first saw them play when I was 15,” he said. “They’ve been playing in this county for over 30 years. They just played at the Boulders Stadium two weeks ago.”

Check back with Patch for details on these events.