By Warren Kagarise

Staff writer

American flags snapped in the breeze Saturday afternoon as volunteers, firefighters and curious residents peeked into windows and snooped through closets.

The prospective homebuyers who toured three houses in Vero Beach's new Waterway Village subdivision weren't just looking around; they were also contributing to charity.

DiVosta donated $20,000 to the Gifford Youth Activity Center.

For every person who toured the model houses, the builder, DiVosta Homes, donated $10 to the North Treasure Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross.

By 2 p.m., about 50 people had toured the homes.

Bob Lawton, the chapter's financial development director, said members of his organization invited about 200 family and friends to the event.

The donations poured into the agency's disaster response fund.

"Every week we're tending to someone whose house has burned down," Mr. Lawton said.

The Carlyle, Oakmont and Capri III houses were open for tours Saturday, and onlookers streamed in.

The centerpiece of the event was each house's Safe Room, a concrete bunker where families can take refuge in severe weather.

The Safe Room, in its finished form, becomes a master-bedroom closet - albeit one with thick concrete walls and a sturdy door outfitted with three deadbolts.

The rooms are built to withstand 250 mph winds, and three people can stay in there comfortably for up to 12 hours, said Sandra Fontana, the Vero Beach author of "Hurricane Guide: Be Ready. Be Safe," a preparedness handbook.

Ms. Fontana manned the Safe Room station at Saturday's event, sharing stories of her own brushes with disaster during hurricanes Frances and Jeanne.

A Safe Room comes standard with a DiVosta home.

Though much of Waterway Village is still under construction, about 30 residents have lived in their brand-new homes since the middle of September.

Manual Olivier, DiVosta's vice president of sales and marketing, said pairing with the Red Cross was a great combination.

Aside from the home tours, attendees were eligible for a raffle drawing for a Red Cross first-aid kit, which included bottles of water and safety goggles, among other survival goodies.

FPL, which will provide Waterway Village's energy needs, also set up a booth at the event. Jeffery Modlin, an FPL energy management consultant, passed out Frisbees and brochures explaining how to cut energy costs.

The Indian River County Fire Department brought a fire engine to the event, and firefighters chatted with visitors.

John Duran, a fire department lieutenant, praised the Safe Room concept.

He said it makes it easier for first responders to find victims when the home is equipped with a Safe Room.