Deck the House Winner Enjoying Media Attention

Charles Daniels is enjoying his new fame as Columbia's Deck the House winner and national finalist for the grand prize of $100,000 to benefit local public schools.

He was interviewed earlier this week by WUSA TV channel 9, and is planning a party of sorts for a live television broadcast from his front yard Friday morning.

Baltimore's WMAR TV Channel 2, an ABC affiliate, will have a crew at Daniels' East Durham Road house from 4:30-7 a.m. Friday, according to Daniels.

Reporter Linda So is scheduled to do five live interviews with Daniels throughout the morning.

Daniels is rallying his neighbors to create an early morning crowd for the camera crew.

He sent out an email to nearly 100 friends telling them about the interview and asking them to show up to wave and cheer during the five segments.

"You read it right — TV truck, cameras and action at 4:30 a.m.," Daniels wrote in the email. "Sounds crazy but I'm a crazy kind of guy."

Daniels promised to serve hot chocolate and joked that he and his wife, Andee, will dance for the audience between takes.

He signed off on the email as "Mr. Hollywood."

As of Thursday morning, Daniels was in ninth place among the 24 finalists in the online popular vote contest.

The leader, a house in California, has more than 6,300 votes.

With 831 votes as of early Thursday, Daniels faces an uphill battle.

And another house from California, with 825 votes, is poised to bump the local display into 10th place.

The voting period is open until 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Participants can vote once per day by clicking here.