Delray Beach Home Tour committee members (l-r, in front) Kim Truesdale, Amy Antoniak, Bianca Pucci, Linda Umbdenstock, Sherry Davis, Shelly Likosar, Julie Peyton, (in back) Deborah Dowd, Melinda Webster, Kimberley Trombly-Burmeister, Erin McLaughlan-Graham, Cheryl Forman, Kari Shipley and Noreen Payne. Photo provided
By Amy Woods
The Marina Historic District will serve as the scenic backdrop for this year’s Delray Beach Home Tour benefiting the Achievement Centers for Children & Families.
The owners of six homes will open their doors during the 22nd annual event, giving visitors a chance to see the well-appointed interiors and resplendent gardens of each selected residence.
“We really try hard to get a variety of homes — historic, contemporary, beach,” Co-Chairwoman Kari Shipley said. “We really try to switch it up so there’s something for everybody.”
The March 11 event marks the first time the tour has taken place in the Marina Historic District. Another new twist is the inclusion of an old military church that has been preserved and turned into an event center. A catered luncheon will take place on the grounds of a seventh home fronting the Intracoastal Waterway. A team of 100 volunteers will work to make the daylong fundraiser a success.
“Each home has six to 10 volunteers,” Shipley said. “They learn about the house, the artwork, the decorator, the history of the house and any other interesting information. They’re like docents.”
The tour was conceived more than two decades ago by ACCF board members Anne Bright and Barbara Murphy, both of whom recruited Shipley.
“We had a friend in the beach area and asked if we could put her home on a tour,” Shipley explained. “Then we called our friends and asked them to come. It started mushrooming. It just grew and grew and has been wildly successful.”
Today, more than 600 visitors from as far south as Miami as well as from out of state buy tickets.
“We have people who come here on vacation for the tour,” Shipley said. “They call us to make sure they have the dates.”
Proceeds — the 2024 take was $200,000 — fund ACCF’s early learning, after-school and teen programs and summer camp that touch 700 local children.
“We are grateful for the support of all our hardworking volunteers, the homeowners who are graciously allowing visitors into their homes and, of course, our dedicated sponsors,” Shipley said.
If You Go
What: Delray Beach Home Tour
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 11
Where: Marina Historic District
Cost: $150
Info: 561-276-0520 or achievementcentersfl.org/events/delray-beach-home-tour
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