When you step inside the elegant homes on this year's eighth annual Hope Candlelight Tour you not only will walk into a world of beauty, you also will open the doors of hope for those suffering with AIDS.
Five private homes will be featured on the general public tour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6 and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 7. Three different homes will be shown on a donors cocktail tour from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 4. Donors receive an invitation to cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at the three homes and two tickets to the public house tours.
A special patrons party June 18 will include casual cocktails and a seated dinner at The Lodge at Diamond Bar-D Ranch, courtesy of owners Linda and Terry Dillon.
Charles Faudree, a co-founder of the tour, said, "There are some wonderful things that will be auctioned during the party at The Lodge."
Items will include two business-class plane tickets to Paris, France, courtesy of Andy Johnson, World Travel Service and American Airlines.
Faudree said that each year the response to the project "just blows me away. Everyone is so kind."
He said the candle of hope keeps burning brightly due to the generosity of patrons and donors who have raised more than $1 million for St. Joseph Residence and the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN). The money helps the agencies provide volunteer teams and nursing care, counseling, respect, and love.
St. Joseph's was established in 1987 under the auspices of Catholic Charities.
RAIN began in 1990 with seed money from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Its teams become extended family for the sick person, helping with everything from light housework to transportation.
The three homes on the donors tour are those of Mona and Peter Prudden, 2550 E. 30th St.; Gayle and Steve Allen, 2540 E. 30th St., and Sherri and George DeMier, 3229 S. Zunis Ave.
The homes are outstanding examples of the unique style of their owners.
The Pruddens' French country-style home, which is three years old, looks as though it has been standing on that spot for almost a century. Its stucco exterior, loose stone walls, and wrought-iron details recall a vision of a French bastide, a term used to describe much more than a farmhouse but less than a chateau.
The living and dining rooms share a soaring ceiling made of cypress that Peter specifically wanted as he remembered the homes in Florida where he grew up. The eclectic interiors blend both sides of the family and three generations of family collections, furnishings, and art, not the least of which is a collection of Steuben glass sculpture.
The covered patio room with fireplace is a gathering place for the family, and it underscores the home's state-of-the-art elegance with an uncompromising goal of comfortable family living.
The Allens' custom-made stone traditional home might well be located in Hollywood on a tour of the homes of the stars. An abundance of French antiques, provincial but fashioned in elegant fruitwoods, abound and are complemented by mostly English accessories.
Tour-goers will love the collections of ironstone, porcelain and majolica, as well as a special collection of Canton Famille rose pieces.
The European fabrics are complemented by the most personal collection of antique pillows in Tulsa.
The DeMiers' whitewashed stucco Mediterranean-style villa has great drama and is a home that Faudree said must be one of the most stylish this side of Mallorca or Corfu. The architecture is dramatic, extravagant and effective. It astounds on all levels.
Sherri designed the interior furnishings, which are in equal step with the amazing scale and open flow of the rooms and the overscaled art, both modern and antique, which is juxtaposed with the plushest and most comfortable furniture. The antiques are formal, fancy and eye-catching. A rare and beautiful collection of Russian and Central American icons also will catch the eye.
This cocktail tour provides a rare opportunity to visit these lovely homes.
The homes on the public tour also are impressive.
They include those of Patricia and Jack Armstrong, 2214 E. 25th Place; Marsha and John Conine, 4020 S. Yorktown Ave.; Peter Walter, 2464 E. 23rd St.; Janet and David Hicks, 3719 S. Atlanta Place, and Dennis Neill and John Southard, 3019 S. Boston Court.
This event always draws a huge crowd of people who love the chance to visit these beautiful homes.
Each year, many people are responsible for making the event happen.
Artist P.S. Gordon is co-founder of the tour.
Nancy Vaughan is tour chairwoman, and Priscilla Tate is honorary chairwoman.
Committee members are Gayle Allen, Martha Bruner, Doug Deckard, Francie Faudree, Judy Fisher, Judy Kantor, Stephanie Walker Kelley, Julie Kruger, Shawn Lovejoy, Ouida Merrifield, Rick Phillips, Nancy Renberg, Catherine Seger, Ann Shade, and Francesanne Tucker.
Unigraph and Parker Printing helped with separations and printing for the invitations.
Per-person sponsor categories are $2,500, power patron; $1,000, super patron; $450, patron, and $125, donor.
For more information, call Martha Bruner at 747-9706.
