Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes kicks off 20th anniversary celebration
THIS IS A PAST EVENT
The Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation invites area residents to save the date for its 20th annual Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes. The Sugar Plum Tour is Akron's premier holiday home tour and the signature fundraiser of the Gay Community Endowment Fund.
This year's 20th anniversary festivities include both live and virtual tours, with the live tour taking place on Sunday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 5 p.m., and the virtual tour taking place the weekend of Dec. 11-12. The tour will showcase some of the area's finest historic and contemporary homes, all exquisitely decorated for the season.
Corporate and individual sponsorships for the Sugar Plum Tour are available and range from $500 to $5,000+. Sponsors will receive tickets to both the live and virtual tours, as well as the private Patron Party, which will be held after the live tour on Dec. 5 at another spectacular residence from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sponsors at the $2,500 level and above will also be invited to a special brunch and preview tour with this year's homeowners.
"We're thrilled to be celebrating 20 years as Akron's favorite holiday tradition while creating lasting change for our local LGBTQ+ community," said Babette Medcalf, Sugar Plum Tour co-chair. "We invite businesses and individuals to show their support for equality and inclusion in our community by sponsoring this year's milestone event."
Since 2002, the Sugar Plum Tour has raised more than $1.3 million to support the Gay Community Endowment Fund's grantmaking to programs that positively impact the LGBTQ+ community, as well as Greater Akron as a whole. In 2021, grants from the fund created safer environments for LGBTQ+ youth, combated phobias of the LGBTQ+ community, and supported mental health and suicide prevention programs for LGBTQ+ people, among other initiatives.
Tourgoers who purchase their tickets before Nov. 1 will receive a special early bird discount. Discounted tickets will be available starting Aug. 28 and can be purchased at the Gay Community Endowment Fund booth at the Akron Pride Festival or online at www.sugarplumtour.org. To receive a reminder alert when tickets go on sale, sign up for the Sugar Plum Tour email list at www.akroncf.org/SugarPlumNews.
This year's live tour is presented by Matt and Lisa Kaulig. The virtual tour is presented by Fran Bittle. A complete list of sponsorship opportunities can be viewed at www.akroncf.org/SugarPlumSponsor. For more information, contact Phil Montgomery, Sugar Plum Tour co-chair, at 330-714-8178 or monty.phil@gmail.com, or visit www.sugarplumtour.org.
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 over $1.8 million while reinvesting more than $630,000 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 www.gaycommunityfund.org.
About Akron Community Foundation
Celebrating 66 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 $272 million with a growing family of more than 740 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 $196 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 www.akroncf.org.