OTT: Historic homes welcome visitors

From left, honorary co-chairman R.W. and Laurie Mills along with Sharon and Frank Unkle at the Anne Grady Center's 22nd annual Enchanted Evening.

From left, Gloria Klear, Colleen and Peter Demczuk, and Sharon Ryan at the Maumee Historic Home Tour.

The 14th annual Maumee Historical Home Tour to benefit the Maumee Historical Society was last month.

Included on the tour were the lovely Knight (1926), Ashner (1922), Demczuk (1926), and Klear (1890-1900) homes. Also on the tour was the Ryan home built in 2007 to look like the older homes of the area.

Floral arrangements were provided by David Swesey Florist, Inc., Emery Flowers & Company, Glendale Flowers & Gifts, Joe I. Cooper Florist, Lee Winters Florist, and Parkway Florist.

Tourists also enjoyed a visit to the Maumee Senior Center where dessert was offered for folks as they perused drawings of the homes by art students from Maumee High School as well as the Maumee Garden Club Flower Show.

A total of $5,000 was raised. The committee included Sara Becker, Norm Peiffer, Jan Finck, Carol Rambo, Marian Hyland, Melissa Utterbeck, Janet Russ Jones, Sylvia Washburn, Will Krosky, Marty Wendler. Dave Lindsay, Mark Williams, Gail Lindsay, Stefanie Woolford, Anna Schell, Rachel Tippett, Jack Gratcl, and Alyssa Nino.

Enchanted Evening aims to help children

Black and white decor with soft lighting set the elegant scene for Anne Grady Center's 22nd annual Enchanted Evening "Help Us Help the Children" Nov. 7 at Parkway Place banquet hall in Maumee. Senses were also aroused with the smell of tasty foods and the sound of Jim Gottron playing piano.

From left, honorary co-chairman R.W. and Laurie Mills along with Sharon and Frank Unkle at the Anne Grady Center's 22nd annual Enchanted Evening.

Guests shopped the silent auction at their leisure, then picked up the pace when emcee and auctioneer Jerry Anderson assisted by Chrys Peterson, both of WTOL-TV, Channel 11, enticed bidding wars. Encouraging high bids in both auctions were celebrity hosts Jay Berschback of WTVG-TV, Channel 13; Brian Gump, Basin St. Grille; Shaun Hegarty and Laura Emerson of WUPW-TV, Channel 36, Pamela Osborne and Laura Rice of WNWO-TV, Channel 24; and Gary Shores and Harvey Steele of WKKO-FM (99.9, K-100 radio).

In the raffles, Shannon Wronkowicz purchased just one ticket and won a trip to Las Vegas that included $2,000 cash. Also winning prizes were Amy Kajca. Joanie Shores, Rose Gozdowski, and Lori Pasienza.

The center serves those with developmental disabilities and special needs. The $100,000 proceeds benefit the center's Prescribed Pediatric Center and Noah's house, named for the late son of honorary chairmen R.W. and Laurie Mills.

The honorary committee included Gale Astles, Cathy and Dr. Stephen Bazeley, Cindy Burgess-Folger, Michele Kania McNulty, Penny Marks, Joanne Ollivier, Pat Ruma, Byrne Stapleton, James Whiteman, and Gary Yoder.