News from The Junior League of Buffalo

By Julie Warman, Proceeds Chair

On Tuesday, April 27th, the members of the Junior League of Buffalo will have the opportunity to decide where to direct our Show House Proceeds. This year, you will have the prospect of investing up to $515,000 in one of our two very deserving community agencies.

The site of the 2009 Show House was The Wallace Estate. This was our 15th Decorators' Show House in conjunction with the Buffalo News. Per our agreement with the Buffalo News, the Junior League received a portion of the proceeds and the remainder was designated to be distributed to a non-profit organization in our community. In addition to the most recent past Show House's proceeds, there are funds from a prior year's Proceeds recipient who was unable to use the funds according to the Proceeds contract.

On April 27th, you will have a chance to hear from both of our finalists. They will each make a 15-minute presentation and be available for 15 minutes of questions. Following the presentations, we will allow for both pro and con statements as well as questions. You will then vote for the agency you believe is the most deserving of the proceeds. The Show House Proceeds Committee has worked diligently to ensure the project finalists represent the very best of Buffalo and Western New York non-profits. There were over 65 initial applications and 19 final applications. Interviews and site visits were granted to 8 organizations.

Please make every effort to attend our April 27th General Meeting. All Actives and eligible Sustainers will vote to determine which agency will be awarded the Proceeds. Here is a brief overview of each proposed project:

Darwin Martin House Restoration:
Western New York is in the midst of reinventing itself culturally and economically. Its revival hinges in large part on cultural tourism: critical new revenue generated by the area's architectural heritage. The Martin House is recognized as a pivotal component of the WNY economic cultural development initiative and needs the support of its community in the last major phase of restoration.

The Martin House Restoration Corporation (MHRC) has requested funding for expenses related to the restoration of the historic playroom, an individual component within the larger interior restoration of the Darwin D. Martin House. The MHRC was formed in 1992 and since then has accomplished nearly 75% of the restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Martin House Complex. Despite the ongoing restoration, the MHRC offers tours, educational programs and events. An international magnet for tourism designed by arguably America's greatest architect, over 25,000 visitors toured the Martin House Complex in 2009. But leadership giving from both the public and private sectors has been tapped out. Support from the Junior League is critical.

The planned work in the Martin House playroom will restore historic plaster, paint and wood trim while updating mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. This spacious lower level room, proposed to be named THE JUNIOR LEAGUE/BUFFALO NEWS LEARNING CENTER, will be a dedicated educational space which will allow for limitless programming for community members, tourists, school children, architecture students and history aficionados. The educational space will be outfitted with audio-visual equipment and technology hardware and software.

In October 2011, the Buffalo region will be hosting the National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference. It is imperative that Buffalo, and the Martin House Complex, be ready for the 2,000 preservationists and architectural scholars in attendance.

Cradle Beach:
Cradle Beach provides education, training and leadership development in a recreational setting to economically disadvantaged children, children with disabilities and to the young adults that serve them. Nearly 800 children are served through the summer residential camp program. Since 1888, they have been providing a unique camp experience for children. It is the only program of its kind that provides a blend of support for both disadvantaged and disabled children.

Cradle Beach is requesting funding to build three new cabins and also to winterize several cabins and two activity buildings. The increased capacity and the winterizing of the buildings will help Cradle Beach advance from a primarily summer program to a fully functional, year-round facility. This will allow them to fully implement a comprehensive learning/academic enrichment program that serves many at-risk youth and families in the Buffalo Public Schools and area school districts. This enrichment program will help to "change the future" of at-risk youth, having a very significant impact in the community for many years to come.

The funding will more than double their sleep capacity, allowing collaboration with other youth organizations and schools to provide services and programming in an overnight format, benefiting the entire WNY community. The grant would also allow Cradle Beach to serve 300 more children in the summer residential program. This added capacity will increase earned revenue from school districts, corporations, etc. who pay to utilize the facility. These funds will be used to fund and sustain programs at the camp. At a time when school districts and youth organizations are cutting staff and programs due to the serious financial deficit of the state, the community, now more than ever, needs a project like this to impact the youth of WNY.