Open doors invite open wallets for health system
Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008
ROGERS — The St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation hopes opening the doors to a milliondollar house will encourage people to open their wallets for the foundation.
The foundation, the fundraising arm of Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas, kicked off its fifth annual Show House of Design on May 1 with a catered “sneak peak” party for select donors. The spread included pan-seared tuna, pork tenderloin, smoked salmon, Thai-style wraps and cold beer and wine. More than a dozen restaurants and caterers contributed to the buffet.
Also on hand were the dozen designers who shared interior design duties for 17 separate spaces within the 5, 300-squarefoot home at 29 Nottingham Lane. The house is in the gated Pinnacle community.
“They have great fun,” Susan Barrett, Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas president and chief executive officer, said of the designers and Show House committee. “And they have great taste.” Many of the house’s furnishings are for sale during the tours, and the foundation receives a cut of the profits. If the $ 1. 3 million house sells within a year, the foundation will also get a 1 percent cut of the sale price.
Last year, the tours raised nearly $ 50, 000. Clark Ellison, Mercy’s chief development officer, said the goal is to exceed that threshold this year. He and event coordinator Tammy Mostyn expect between 4, 000 and 5, 000 visitors.
“One room... will be full of antiques from France, where in another it’s things purchased from a flea market. It’s a showhouse where everyone can find an idea,” Mostyn said.
From the pastel-coated brick exterior and domed ceilings down to the distressed hardwood floors, “the house has everything” a fan of home design television shows could want, said Jeff Mortensen of Five Star Development Corp., who drew up the plans and built the house. The tours continue through May 18.
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