Building Hope: Supporters sign the floor of Northwest Indiana’s first St. Jude Dream Home

Havyn Homes isn’t just building another home or an extension to a subdivision; it’s building hope and a legacy. Even after the last nail is in place and a signature is on the dotted line, the impact will keep growing.

On Thursday, October 22, the team of Havyn Homes were joined by the people who made it possible: family, friends, contractors, material donors, and representatives from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Together, they filled the 2026 St. Jude Dream Home Showplace in Scianna, Havyn’s first community in Valparaiso, and signed the floor with messages of hope, gratitude, and courage, leaving their mark on the home forever.

Havyn is one of only 60 builders nationwide accepted into the St. Jude Dream Home program, which has raised more than $850 million for St. Jude. When the home sells, 100% of the proceeds go to the hospital. It’s listed through Brokerworks of Valpo, but unlike any other Havyn home, neither Havyn nor its trade partners profit from it.

“It sounds cheesy, but it’s true — it’s history being made for an amazing cause,” Michelle Graniczny said.

That cause is fighting childhood cancer.

Mike Graniczny, founder and president of Havyn Homes, first wanted to partner with St. Jude three years ago and patiently waited for his opportunity. His wife, Michelle, proudly showed off the home but was quick to give him and everyone else the credit.

“I can’t take any credit,” she said. “Yes, we get to be the builder. But the majority of our trades have donated their labor, their materials, and some monetary donations to help this project come to life.”

For the Granicznys, the decision was simple. While time was a factor, their desire to help those in need was clear.

“I’m a parent. I have two healthy children,” Michelle Graniczny said. “How could we not say yes to doing something like this when we want every parent, every child to have the same or more opportunities to be well? God gave us the ability to build. Why not help somebody else while we’re doing it.”

It’s a philosophy Michelle Graniczny says her husband has always lived by. As a man of his word, he put his money where his mouth is.

Mike Graniczny recalled the unseasonable rain delays during the project and the subdivision streets that weren’t even in place six months ago. He also remembered the day he realized he’d forgotten to plan for irrigation, prompting him to call on his community once more. One quick phone call later, a local contractor agreed to donate the service.

“It is a big undertaking,” Mike Graniczny said, “but at the same time, it’s so little compared to what the families are going through.”

Kowalczyk, Havyn’s insurance agent with the Mitchell Corporation in Dyer, has followed the project since its kickoff. He supports the build however he can.

The rooms of the Dream Home were filled with both laughter and tears as St. Jude representatives shared how donations from projects like this help real children in meaningful ways.

Lenora Oeters, area executive director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, shared the story of founder Danny Thomas.

Years before St. Jude opened in 1962, Thomas was down to his last $10 with a baby on the way when he gave $7 of it to the church. The next morning, he landed a job paying $75. It was the start of his career and of the promise that became St. Jude.

“He had a really bold dream that no child would die in the dawn of life,” Oeters said.

When St. Jude opened, the survival rate for childhood cancer was about 20%, and many hospitals told parents to take their child home and enjoy the time they had left. Today, the survival rate is more than 85%, and St. Jude shares its research openly with doctors around the world. Thanks to donors, families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food.

“The one thing that we hear over and over again is, ‘We have hope,’” Oeters said. “That’s because of you. Thank you for saying yes.”

Abigail Duncan, a program advisor with the St. Jude Dream Home team, thanked the national partners whose products fill the home, including Bosch, Brizo, Shaw, Trane and Kichler, along with dozens of local trades.

“This is a team effort,” she said, “and all of you in this room are making this happen.”

The floor signing is one stop on a yearlong journey that began with Havyn’s Bricks & Sticks kickoff, followed by a groundbreaking this past spring. Still to come are public open houses, where the community can walk through the finished Showplace and learn more about St. Jude’s mission, and the final goal: a sale.

The 2026 St. Jude Dream Home Showplace is located at 1859 Lambrusco Drive in Valparaiso and is listed at $749,900. Those who want to support the mission without buying a home can donate through Havyn’s St. Jude donation page or directly through St. Jude’s website.

“Don’t be afraid to give. A couple bucks, five bucks,” Graniczny said. “You don’t have to have a cancer or disease connection. You just have to want somebody to live, or be healthier, or be stronger. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We are happy to talk about it.”

Currently, Havyn Homes is seeking to complete this special home with furnishing and staging, and are on the lookout for furniture companies to donate toward this effort.

While her family’s name is on the project, Graniczny shares the credit with everyone who signed the floor.

“This is not me,” she said. “I’m just part of it.”

For more information, or to assist in completing the project, visit Havyn Homes’ website here.