Couple raffling off eco-friendly lodge in Ecuador
— -- One environmentally conscious couple is giving away the prize of not just a new home, but a new lifestyle.
Rebecca Greenshields and her husband are raffling off an eco-friendly lodge in Ecuador, along with $10,000 to assist the winners with airfare, visas and other expenses.
"You are not just winning a prize," Greenshields told ABC News. "You are winning a home, a business ... an income and a lifestyle that is hard to beat."
Winners will assume all control of the lodge -- La Casa Verde -- which is a profitable business in the city of Baños with an already existing client base. The lodge is dedicated to reducing, reusing and recycling, according to its website. Some of its initiatives include replanting native trees and maintaining a garden, avoiding chemically based fertilizers and cleaning products and generating energy through hydro-electricity. La Casa Verde has more than 400 overwhelmingly positive reviews on TripAdvisor.
"Interest so far has been strong with a lot of positive feedback," Greenshields said. "We've built a lot of awareness through social media and also through some print and radio in [New Zealand], Australia and the U.K."
Greenshields said those interested in winning the raffle should go to their website and follow instructions on how to enter.
"Our target is 35,000 tickets for La Casa Verde to be the prize," Greenshields said.
If this threshold is not met, she said, 50 percent of the profits will be a cash prize for the winner, while the other 50 percent will cover costs of the raffle itself and be donated a local foundation in Ecuador.
"We are confident that we will get the numbers," she said.
Greenshields, a native of Australia, and her husband, who originally hails from New Zealand, have transformed La Casa Verde over the years into what it is now. But they have now returned to Australia to be closer to family.
"We really want to see someone win our place and experience the fantastic lifestyle that we have had the opportunity to have had the past 10 years," she said.
Greenshields said the contest has already received entries from people in 30 different countries around the world. The winner will be chosen on Facebook Live on April 29 at 9 p.m. GMT.
