HomeAway Saves Summer Vacation for Three Families in Need of a Getaway From the Everyday

HomeAway Saves Summer Vacation for Three Families in Need of a Getaway From
the Everyday
$20,000 in Vacation Getaways Awarded to Families after 1,300 People Enter
Contest Sponsored by Vacation Rental Company

AUSTIN, Texas, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- After searching the United States and
Canada for the family most-deserving of a summer vacation, HomeAway(R) - the
world's leading online vacation rental marketplace - today announced Karen
DeRiemer of West Chester, Pa., is the $10,000 vacation grand prize winner of
its "Save Our Summer Vacation" contest. As the two runners-up, Christine
Wilkinson of Lakewood, Colo., and Ben McGrann of Newcastle, Wash., each will
receive a $5,000 vacation.

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HomeAway launched the contest in June to bring attention to the fact that
especially during these stressful times, it's more important than ever for
families to take some time off and get away so they can recharge and
reconnect. Each winner's prize includes accommodations at the vacation rental
home of their choice, and they'll be able to choose from the nearly 180,000
vacation rentals located across 120 countries on HomeAway.com.

Karen DeRiemer: A Story of a Mother's Constant Care

In her contest entry, DeRiemer explained that her son, Christian, is dependent
on a ventilator, a surgically-placed feeding tube and a motorized wheelchair
due to a rare form of muscular dystrophy. In order to fully enjoy a vacation
to the beach, she told HomeAway that the family wants to stay in a vacation
home that has an elevator so that Christian can easily reach the top floor to
enjoy views of the beach and the fresh sea air. DeRiemer called "a nice beach
house with an elevator . . . a dream come true."

Not only has DeRiemer had her hands full caring for her son, she also has been
caring for her husband, Neil, a cancer survivor who recently recovered from a
cerebral hemorrhage. Like many American families, the DeRiemers also have
been affected by the challenging economy and are grateful for the vacation
prize.

Christine Wilkinson: Ready for a Vacation after Son's 12 Surgeries

After spending much of the past three years in hospitals tending to the needs
of her three-year-old son who was born with multiple congenital health issues,
Christine Wilkinson told HomeAway that she is ready to leave the hospitals
behind. Her son, Brody, has spent more than half of his life in either a cast
or with pins in his arms, and has undergone 12 surgeries in his young life.

Wilkinson wrote in her entry, "We'd like to learn what it's like to be a
family outside of a hospital!" Since Brody had been unable to swim or splash
in a pool or bathtub due to the casts, Wilkinson told HomeAway that she'd like
"a vacation with lots of water around us," but with all of the mounting
medical bills they don't have money left for a trip.

Ben McGrann: Making Up for a Year of Lost Memories

After being called to duty for another year in Iraq following the completion
of his four-year commitment to the U.S. Army, Ben McGrann told HomeAway that
he wants time to reconnect with his family in order to make up for a year of
lost memories. In his entry, McGrann explained that he and his wife were
looking forward to having a life they could control once he completed his
military service obligation. After having a child, McGrann said they were
"happily enjoying life until that fateful day arrived, and our lives were put
on hold."

Since being called back to active duty in Iraq, McGrann has missed his son's
first birthday, first steps and first tooth. When he returns to the U.S., he
wants to spend time with his son and give his wife a much-deserved break from
keeping the household running since he's been away. He said, "a dream
vacation will make up for all those firsts I missed with our son and give us
an opportunity to create life-long memories."

"We know many families are cutting back on vacations this year due to the
economy, rising gas prices or other hardships, which is why HomeAway launched
the Save Our Summer Vacation movement to show how consumers can spread out
with extra room and truly unwind - without breaking the bank," said Brian
Sharples, chief executive officer of HomeAway. "We're extremely thrilled to
be able to provide a summer vacation for these deserving families, and hope
they enjoy their spacious HomeAway from home."

Judges for the contest included Eileen Ogintz, family travel expert and author
of the syndicated column "Taking the Kids;" Stacy DeBroff, CEO of Mom Central,
a one-stop web resource dedicated to providing busy moms with smart household
and parenting solutions; and HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples.

About HomeAway, Inc.

HomeAway, Inc., based in Austin, Texas, is the worldwide leader in online
vacation rentals, representing more than 425,000 paid vacation rental home
listings throughout 120 countries. HomeAway offers an extensive selection of
vacation homes that provide travelers with benefits, including more room to
relax and added privacy for less than the cost of traditional hotel
accommodations, as well as full kitchens and extra amenities such as private
pools. In addition, the company makes it easy for owners of vacation rental
properties to advertise their rental properties and manage their bookings
online. The HomeAway portfolio includes the leading vacation rental websites
HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com in the United States;
Holiday-Rentals.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom;
FeWo-direkt.de in Germany; and Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France. The
company also recently launched vacation rental websites in eight additional
European countries. For more information, please visit www.HomeAway.com.

SOURCE HomeAway

Eileen Buesing of HomeAway, Inc., +1-512-493-0375, ebuesing@homeaway.com; or
Kyle Rose of MM2 Public Relations, +1-214-379-3704, kyle.rose@mm2pr.com, for
HomeAway, Inc.