4/26/2012 - West Side Leader
     

Junior League seeks new site for 2013

WEST AKRON — The Junior League of Akron is seeking a home for its Designer ShowHouse event after revising plans for the group’s fundraiser.

The next Designer ShowHouse is planned to take place in spring 2013, JLA officials announced April 11. The JLA had previously announced that the Awender home, at 1811 Breezewood Drive in West Akron, would be the site of the Designer ShowHouse to take place in October of this year.

Designer ShowHouse is a Junior League tradition that allows members of the community to get a sneak peak at a “hidden gem” home and gather ideas for their own homes while supporting the volunteer work of the JLA, officials said.

Now the JLA is turning its attention to finding another home in the Akron area for the ShowHouse event.

“The Junior League of Akron is committed to its signature event, Designer ShowHouse, and looks forward to finding a home in which to host the event in 2013,” said President Keri-Ann Kalavity in a press release. “The decision to change locations was difficult to make, but we are confident that we will be able to secure a fabulous new site.”

In the release, JLA officials said there were unforeseen circumstances with the location of the selected house that made the organization come to the decision that “holding the event at that location would be financially unfeasible at this time.”

The Designer ShowHouse Steering Committee is seeking an Akron-area home that is at least 3,500 square feet or larger. Also, the homeowner must be willing to have the entire home undergo a makeover while they live elsewhere for about three months. The current condition of the home can be anywhere from “good” to “needs work,” but must be in sound condition and up to code, JLA officials said.

“We’re looking for something that has an interesting component to it that will intrigue designers, with unique rooms or unique ornate features they can work with,” said Jennie Highfield, of West Akron, who is president-elect of the JLA.

Highfield noted the homeowners do not need to have any affiliation with the JLA and the home can be anywhere in the Akron area.

Homeowners who believe they own a house suitable to host the event are asked to contact Susan Frerichs, JLA office manager, at 330-836-4905 or via email at jrleagueakron@sbcglobal.net.

Highfield said the JLA hopes to have a home selected within the next two months, at which time designers will be invited to see it and propose designs for the home’s rooms. A public announcement will likely be made this fall, she added.

Local interior designers who participate in the Designer ShowHouse will have the opportunity to put their personal touch on the selected home. The last Designer ShowHouse event took place at the M.A. Knight Manor on North Portage Path in 2009. In 2011, the JLA organized a tour of local standout kitchens as its ShowHouse event.

Founded in 1926, the JLA is a nonprofit organization providing opportunities for women to gain leadership and professional skills, as well as volunteer expertise, through work on community projects. Part of the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI), the JLA includes more than 450 members from nearly 30 communities throughout Greater Akron.

The organization has spearheaded or supported the creation of some of the community’s most critical social service organizations and programs, including Family TIES, The Volunteer Center, Child Guidance Centers, Battered Women’s Shelter, Safe Landing Runaway Shelter, Mary Day Nursery (now Akron Children’s Hospital), Guardian Ad Litem, Immunization Coalition of Summit County, The Community Wish List, Oral Health Initiative and the Health Education Center.

For more information on the Designer ShowHouse, go to www.juniorleagueakron.org.

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