How often do you get to tour a beautiful home while supporting a worthwhile cause? Mansion in May, the signature fundraiser for the Women's Association for Morristown Medical Center, offers this wonderful opportunity every two years. This year, it will take place at the historic Wildfair estate in Chester Township from May 1 to May 31.
On 55 acres, it has many unique architectural details. “Some of the roof lines are slanted so the doors are angled, the walls are incredibly thick and the whole house is covered in fieldstone,” says Mary Courtemanche, event co-chair along with Barbara Ruane. “There are some really great quarter-moon windows and other funky details.” There's also an incredible two-story mahogany library with a circular staircase.
The house was originally built in the 1880s and then added onto in the 1930s and 1990s. There are a total of 38 interior spaces and 17 landscape spaces. On the property itself, there’s a pond, a barn, a tennis court, a chicken coop, and a sugar house.
“The setting is exquisite, and there’ll be a sculpture in the woods that people will be able to see from the back of the house,” says Barbara. “The barn is going to be transformed into a bistro, and with adding a tent, we’ll be able to seat around 200 people.”
In the bottom level of the barn, there will be lovely boutiques. “You could really make it a destination for the day,” she says. “You can tour the house and gardens, have lunch with your friends, and then shop in the boutiques.” Twenty percent of the proceeds from these sales go to the Women's Association for Morristown Medical Center to facilitate its mission.
This mission is very important. Every Mansion in May event supports Morristown Medical Center (MMC), and this year the monies raised will benefit its new Proton Therapy Center. With help from these proceeds, the hospital hopes to start offering this cutting-edge cancer treatment next year.
Since its inception in 1974, Mansion in May has raised over $14 million. “Our goal this year is to raise $2 million, which is a stretch, but that’s what we’re hoping to do,” says Barbara. An average of 22,000 people attend each event.
Finding these homes and homeowners who are willing to open their doors to the public is not an easy task. “We have a mansion search committee and they have a lot of good contacts with Realtors® and designers in the area,” she says. “We often get houses by word of mouth and the owners of our last house, Three Fields, are friends with the current owners, who also attended the last event.”
In regard to tickets, there are a number of different options. A general admission ticket gets you onto the property and into the house. There are tickets for private tours, and tickets for an evening preview party and an afternoon tea which includes a presentation on sustainable gardening. There is also Motown at the Mansion. “It's on a Saturday night and it's a sit-down dinner,” says Barbara. “We're going to dance the night away to an orchestra playing Motown music.”
The women, who are also long-time board members, lead a team of over 60 volunteers who are on about 25 different committees. “Everyone has a different focus, so there's a committee for ticketing, for marketing, for the design,” says Mary. “There’s another committee that puts together the journal that all visitors receive. It’s an incredible resource because it lists all the designers involved, so if you want to update an interior space or enhance your garden, you will have access to their contact information.”
Mary and Barbara, who were also the co-chairs of the previous event, find a lot of satisfaction in their roles. “It's a fun way to give back,” says Barbara. “We spend a lot of time and energy, but it's really worth it in the end when you see how our funds are used. We were invited to the grand opening of the Gagnon Institute of Bioskills Training and Innovation [at MMC] after we had given them $1.65 million from the last Mansion in May event.”
Adds Mary, “When we give money, it's usually for a project that the hospital is actively working on and so we get to see the results pretty fast. It’s incredibly gratifying.” And, they are always looking for more volunteers.
“We’ve made great friends with the women and men who volunteer,” says Barbara. “They're dedicated, they're hardworking.”
To buy your tickets to this amazing philanthropic event, and to find out about volunteering for the next one, go to MansionInMay.org.