Newporters Attend Historic New England Centennial Year Gala

Sponsors William and Allison Vareika, prominent Newporter Angela Fischer, and other preservation and history buffs traveled to Boston for Historic New England ‘s Centennial year Gala at The Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. The festive evening’s guests enjoyed cocktails,

William & Allison Vareika with Carl R. Nold

dinner, and dancing to the White Heat Swing Orchestra.

Almost $300,000 was raised from donations, dinner, and the live auction at which attendees bid on an extraordinary experience at three of the finest houses in America. The auction item enables one lucky bidder to celebrate an evening of cocktails, dinner, and dessert at the three Boston Federal-style houses that Charles Bulfinch designed for Harrison Gray Otis and Sally Foster Otis, including Historic New England’s 1796 Otis House Museum on Cambridge Street.

Ernst Berndt & Gala Co-Chair Joan Berndt

The winner and guests will join Historic New England President and CEO Carl R. Nold to be entertained at the houses in order of construction – experiencing history as only Historic New England makes possible. Gala Co-Chairs were Joan Berndt and Kristin Servison.

Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation bringing history to life while preserving the past for everyone interested in exploring the authentic New England experience from the seventeenth century to today. It owns and operates thirty-six historic homes and landscapes in five states.

Angela Fischer, Lewis P. and Susan Cabot, and Historic New England President and CEO Carl R. Nold

“We are very excited to kick off our centennial year and grateful that the public continues to support our mission of heritage preservation and education in these challenging times,” said Nold. “Thanks to the gala we are able to continue to reach, engage, and provide students throughout New England with the opportunity to discover the history around them.”
Proceeds from the Gala support Historic New England’s educational initiatives to share history with young audiences whose school and youth programs serve more than 36,000 students every year. For information, go to www.HistoricNewEngland.org