Tickets on sale for Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes
Live and virtual tours of decorated homes will benefit the Gay Community Endowment Fund
Historic and contemporary homes throughout Greater Akron will open their doors in December for the Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes. Tickets are now on sale for this annual holiday event, which includes both live and virtual tours of festively decorated homes.
The Sugar Plum Tour is Akron's premier holiday home tour and the signature fundraiser of the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation. Since 2002, thousands of tourgoers have experienced the twinkling lights, roaring fires, sparkling trees and holiday decorations of homes nestled in neighborhoods throughout Greater Akron.
Last year's Sugar Plum Tour raised more than $140,000 for the fund, which supports programs that advance a lived equality for all LGBTQ+ people in Greater Akron. Recent grants have helped LGBTQ+ job seekers find meaningful employment, promoted free wellness services for LGBTQ+ people impacted by cancer, and provided gender-affirming hormone therapy injection kits to patients at the Summa Health Pride Clinic, among other initiatives. A full list of recent grants is available at akroncf.org/GCEFgrants.
This year's live tour will feature five homes on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 12 to 5 p.m., while the virtual tour will feature professionally filmed tours of seven homes during the weekend of Dec. 9-10.
Among the homes showcased on this year's tour are a 1939 Federal-style Merriman Heights home built by Roy Firestone that balances a blend of original architectural features with a newly constructed kitchen; a 1952 Fairlawn Heights Cape Cod featuring two custom mural rooms with eye-catching colors and artwork by Ben Manista; a 1922 Good & Wagner-designed Tudor in West Akron with a spiral staircase, restored oak flooring, and original doors and built-ins; an updated 1928 French Tudor Revival in Merriman Heights designed by Roy Firestone with custom finishes and a professional kitchen; and a 1953 modernized Cape Cod with southwest folk art influences in Highland Square.
General admission tickets are $35 each for the live or virtual tours, or $60 for both, and can be purchased at sugarplumtour.org. Guests who purchase tickets before Nov. 1 will receive a special early bird discount. All guests will receive their tickets to this year's tour, as well as a mobile-friendly digital tour guide with maps of the home locations, by email. For more details, visit sugarplumtour.org/tickets.
The 2023 Sugar Plum Tour is presented by Raymond Dental Group – Dr. Kate Raymond and Michelle Krocker. Other major sponsors include Gregory Hail and Matthew Culler, Kaulig Giving, Energy Harbor, and The Read Family. For a complete list of this year's sponsors, visit sugarplumtour.org/sponsors. All proceeds from the event benefit the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation.
About the Gay Community Endowment Fund
Founded in 2001, the Gay Community Endowment Fund is a permanent philanthropic endowment of Akron Community Foundation. The fund advances a lived equality for all LGBTQ+ people in Greater Akron by investing in strategic and responsive grantmaking that empowers the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Since its inception, the fund has grown to more than $2 million while reinvesting more than $750,000 into the community. Contributions of any amount are welcome and support future grantmaking. Checks should be sent to Akron Community Foundation, 345 W. Cedar St., Akron, OH 44307, with Gay Community Endowment Fund in the memo line. Donations may also be designated for the GCEF Scholarship Fund. For more information, or to contribute, call 330-376-8522 or visit gaycommunityfund.org.
About Akron Community Foundation
Celebrating 68 years of building community philanthropy, Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of nearly $278 million with a growing family of more than 830 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life. The community foundation and its funds welcome gifts of all kinds, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets, just to name a few. To date, the community foundation's funds have awarded nearly $227 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation or to learn more about creating your own charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit akroncf.org.