Gnome Sam Vicente Moves into the Hobbit House: Photo Contest Winner

Heather McGhee • January 3, 2025

Sam Vicente, the beloved community gnome, found a home in the Hobbit House, bringing holiday cheer and inspiring residents through a festive photo contest.

Sam Vicente, our charming community gnome, officially moved into the Hobbit House, located at the corner of San Vicente Road and Ramona Oaks Road, right before the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays. To celebrate, we invited our residents to visit, take a photo, and participate in a contest to win a $125 San Vicente Resort gift card. The promotion was designed to bring our community together in a fun and festive way, giving everyone the opportunity to “meet Sam” and embrace his holiday wish: to feel the magic of the season, share joy, and keep the spirit of kindness shining brightly—just like his lantern.


We received ten wonderful entries, and the lucky winner, chosen in a random drawing, was Diana Abarca, who also goes by Diana Larson, sharing her husband Rick’s last name.


Diana and Rick have been proud residents of SDCE for 38 years. For the past decade, they’ve made Stone Mountain their go-to hiking destination. “We live in the Golf Course condos now, so we can just cross the street to get there. We hike once or twice a week,” Diana shared.


Diana has followed the transformation of the Hobbit House with great interest. Reflecting on the journey, she said, “The tree that was made into the gnome house was quite stately and noticeable, with a massive branch hanging over the trail that we often walked under. Honestly, we wondered if it might break, so we understood the need to cut the tree down. Watching it transform into a Gnome House has been such a joy. At first, it became a bench, then a little house with an adorable door, and all the decorative touches made it even more magical.”


We want to thank everyone who visited the Hobbit House and participated in the photo contest. Your enthusiasm and creativity made this experience truly special.


As we move into the new year, let’s carry forward Sam’s heartfelt message:
Share joy with one another, and keep the spirit of kindness glowing like his lantern.


Happy New Year!


Our winning photo features (left to right) Rick and Diana Larson with Sam Vicente and friends.
Due to technical issues at the time of publication, we are not able to publish all photo entries.

Winners of the Gnome Sam Vicente Photo Contest

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