The morning of June 4, 2015, Diane Frate and Lisa Slen had the pleasure of taking part in the first annual Homes With Heart fundraiser sponsored by The First Congregational Church in Darien. Each year the church grants over $80,000 to twenty charitable organizations serving the youth, elderly and the disadvantaged through the outreach budget. Funding sources include 10% of pledges as well as proceeds from their annual fundraising event –this year Homes With Heart!
The morning was spent checking in, registering, providing instructions, presenting raffle tickets and supplying attendees with maps of the homes on display.
Each attendee was provided with booties to wear in the homes along with the following firm instructions:
- No food/beverages
- No smoking materials
- No recording devices
- No cameras
- No sketching, measuring, photographs or pace out concepts
- No locations on the tour
Five Darien residents graciously opened their homes to Homes With Heart. Homes viewed were titled: Southern Hospitality (stately brick clad Federal home), Fieldhouse of Dreams (residence with three athletic boys – batting cage, turf field, indoor pool, squash court, bowling alley, fitness and massage rooms, ping pong and games and outdoor hot tub and fire pit), The Devil’s in the Details (home was renovated to capture the contemporary with Old World details), Sophisticated Simplicity (classic New England clapboard colonial with an open airy design.) and Artist Retreat (perfect mix of old and new architecture).
Summary of the fundraiser:
The event surpassed the organizations highest goals with over 500 people attending the tour.
Homes With Heart raised over $50,000 to benefit Person-to-Person and other local charitable organizations.
Attendees were impressed by the quality and scale of the homes on tour, but also by the organization and spirit of the volunteers.
This event was a tremendous success that the organizers are already at work for next year. [by Diane Frate]
