Peninsula Heating & Air, located at 4471 George Washington Memorial Highway, Hayes, wants to make a local family more comfortable.

This is the fourth year that PHA is holding a contest, "Project Comfort & Joy," to give a free heating and cooling system to a deserving local family. "We know times are tough in this economy," said Karen Smith, who owns PHA with her husband Stephen.

"This is one way we can help make a difference," she said. The deadline to enter is Dec. 28, with the drawing for a winner on Jan. 6.

PHA is offering the system as a way to market the business as well as to help those who might not be able to afford to fix their current heating/cooling system because of other needs, said Faye Gibson, sales and marketing coordinator for the company.

Before entering the contest, Smith said, a person should call PHA to be pre-screened with a few questions. For example, the winner must own the house where the system will be installed,...