I just spent the day at a long meeting discussing the Arthurdale Heritage fundraising plans for this year and possibly years to come. We have some fantastic initiatives that we will be announcing over the next few weeks. Most notably we are planning on launching “Arthurdale Weddings” wedding rental packages, challenge grants, new tours, new exhibits, and more events for children and families.
One of these family-oriented events is our annual Beat the Heat BBQ coming up next Saturday. Tom and Dyanna Bonnette, Susie and Richie Davis and a slew of our dedicated volunteers will be grilling and serving up char-grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for this winter fundraiser. And, yes, Tom and Richie will be outside in the freezing cold grilling. They do this every year and we are so very thankful for their dedication.
This event will also feature a SUPERVISED play area for the kids (so mom and dad can relax and have fun) and the Craft Shop will be open. The Craft Shop is not normally open until April when we start offering weekend tours again, so this is your chance to stop by and pick up unique gifts. (Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, fellas…hint hint!) We really hope to see you there!
Other fundraising events we are planning are the annual Elimination Dinner (April), Mother/Daughter Tea (May), the annual New Deal Festival (July 9-10), and an Ice Cream Social/Kids Day in August. Also, October 11 is Eleanor Roosevelt’s Birthday and we’re thinking about throwing her a party!
That said, all of these events and initiatives take time, effort, and lots of planning. However, we always pull it off because we have such wonderful volunteers. If there is anything that you would like to be a part of or help out with, we would love to hear from you. If you are not on our volunteer email list, please let us know so we can add you.
One of the great things about technology is being able to easily get feedback from anyone and everyone. We’re making lots of plans for 2010, but also for years to come. We’d love to hear what Arthurdale Heritage means to you and what you would like to see us doing, so take a moment to add your comments below!
– Sarah Barnes
President, Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. Board of Directors
