Christmas at Aldie Raises $235,000 for Local Land Conservation and Education Efforts

On the evening of Sunday, December 7th, approximately 175 friends and supporters filled Aldie Mansion’s festively decorated space to celebrate and support land conservation. This year’s Christmas at Aldie was a magical and successful evening — filled with joy, friendly conversation, and a shared belief in what’s possible when we work together.

With the overwhelming generosity of our guests and sponsors, our winter fundraiser raised about $228,000, including more than $111,000 for our Mission Appeal. Gifts continued to come in afterwards, bringing the final total to $235,000.

The impact of this memorable evening will last for generations.

In his remarks, Heritage Conservancy CEO Bill Kunze (above) told guests that every dollar raised can be leveraged to unlock an additional $10 in funding to preserve local land right here in our community. So our Christmas at Aldie Mission Appeal donations alone gave us leverage to raise over $1,000,000 more to protect the open spaces and natural lands that benefit the whole community for the long term.

“We are in the “future business,” he told donors, and our work is shaping the communities that our guests call home – communities in Bucks County as well as Montgomery and Northampton Counties, where in total we have protected 17,000 acres of land.

We have another 1385 acres pending protection, and money raised from Christmas at Aldie and year-end giving to our Annual Appeal (link) will help bring those projects to completion. Donations will also contribute to our growing education programs, serving Bucks County students and teachers throughout our region.

Every acre protected today remains a lasting treasure for generations. Every student inspired becomes a future guardian of the land that sustains us. Christmas at Aldie was a perfect opportunity to celebrate and support this impact.

The evening’s festivities began with a pre-event reception for sponsors at the Frosted Field Benefactor level and above that featured specialty cocktails (a mandarin mule and bourbon sour), Asian-inspired hors d’oeuvres, and the music of the Dave Dales Duo (below).

For the main event, guests were greeted with a signature cocktail and a glimpse of our grand Christmas tree in the entry hall. The year’s lush decor, styled by Kathy Calvitti (above, center right) and a team of volunteers, was a celebration of woodlands and featured ivory and earthtones, plentiful pinecones, magnolias, and birds.

Guests posed for photos in the mansion’s intimate side lounge, previewed auction items in the Mercer Dining Room, and joined the joyful crowd in the Fernberg Family Library and the heated tent beyond. There they mixed and mingled while enjoying appetizers, cocktails, and sparkling conversation.

Our evening’s auction included a Philadelphia sports ticket and memorabilia package, a tour of Rago Auction House with a stay at the Stockton Inn, a tour of New Hope with a stay at Riverhouse at Odette’s, VIP Box tickets to Walnut Street Theatre’s production of 1776, a hand-turned bowl made from Aldie’s historic fallen bur oak and a mansion tour with a catered cocktail party, and a painting and art class by Bucks County artist Jim Lukens, who was in attendance.

The auction and mission appeal were capped with the lovely sounds of Christmas, as Central Bucks East Select Choir wove their way into the ballroom to carol for the gathered guests. Dinner followed, with various stations serving grilled steak, poke bowls, risotto, turkey braciole, and more.

“We are thrilled with the outcome,” says Elizabeth Barmach (above, with painting), the event organizer. “This single event raised a record amount of support for our work in the community we share. The effects of the education and land conservation that this evening funded will outlast us all.”