Palmer Woods Association President Craig Vanderburg, standing top, and Home Tour Chair Dale Morgan, seated center,  present checks to Robyn Smith (seated left), Director, Community Relations & Events for COTS (Coalition on Temporary Shelter) and Greening of Detroit representative Ashley Atkinson (seated right). Each year a portion of the proceeds from the Holiday Home Tour is donated back to the community.

 Almost two decades ago, the Palmer Woods Association held its first Holiday Home Tour. It laid the groundwork for an annual event in our neighborhood, a tradition held all but two years since 1990.

We missed our 2007 Home Tour, but made up for it with an even more spectacular 2008 Tour, which included an extra evening event: an Elegant Preview Party on Saturday, Dec. 6. At this new kick-off celebration, 125 guests dressed up and enjoyed cocktails and appetizers at the Wellesley home of Norm Silk and Home Tour Chair Dale Morgan. Luxury coach busses transported them to tour each home plus the Frank Lloyd Wright-Turkel home, which is being renovated by Silk and Morgan. Upon return to the party, guests enjoyed wine donated by Western Market, coffee, desserts and jazz with guitarist A. Spencer Barefield and bassist David Young (one of Canada’s premiere musicians and Oscar Peterson’s bassist over a 30 year period).

The following morning hundreds of visitors toured six beautiful homes and warmed up at the carriage house of the VanDusen home on Balmoral, where hot cider was served.

Following tradition, the benefits of this wonderful neighborhood fundraiser is shared with the community. A portion of the proceeds was donated to two important Detroit organizations: Greening of Detroit received $500 to assist with its work of urban reforestation and urban agriculture, and to COTS (Coalition on Temporary Shelter) received $1,000 to help the homeless. The remaining funds are used for neighborhood improvements.