PLAYcetera: Little Houses for a Big Cause

The luxury playhouses of PLAYcetera 2006 once again created a stir in the community as they raised funds and spread awareness for the hospice house project. The Little Red Schoolhouse, the grand prize in the first ever ARTcetera raffle, offered everyone a chance to get in on the fun, while the Swiss Chalet and The Log Cabin took center stage in the live auction as the 2006 signature items.

Designed and built in Duluth using donations from generous local businesses, these little homes are helping to build another kind of living environment: the region’s first Hospice House. The Solvay Hospice House will be the result of Miller-Dwan Foundation’s $4-million campaign for residential hospice care. It will be a place where people facing the end of life, and their loved ones, can receive the best possible care.

The History
Cameron Fryer brought an idea with him when he joined Diane Link as co-chair of ARTcetera 2005. He envisioned bringing together different segments of the community to build something that had not been seen in Duluth before: luxury playhouses. The team of dedicated union and community volunteers returned in 2006 to create another fabulous trio of playhouses. Local architect John Ivey Thomas designed three new themed playhouses. Jerry Sundquist of Hermantown Lumber consulted on the building supplies needed for the endeavor. Jerry Alander of the Carpenters Local 361, assisted by Rick Berg and Keith Olafson, built them in conjunction with the carpenter apprentice program and union volunteers. Craig Olson and the Painters and Allied Trades Local 106’s apprentice program paint them once they were constructed. Three local interior designers Patti Burggraff, Mignon Fryer, and Deb Wittmann furnished them for the ultimate fun zone.

The PLAYcetera Team: (L to R- Front) Guthrie Hebenstreit, Patricia Burns, Deb Wittmann, Cameron Fryer; (Middle) Jim Abrahamson, Patti Burggraff, Mignon Fryer; (Back) Rick Berg, Jerry Sundquist, Keith Olafson (Not pictured: Jerry Alander, Brian Gilchrist, Craig Olson, Brad Skytta, Fred Strom, John Ivey Thomas)

The Results
The Log Cabin and Swiss Chalet raised $31,000 in the live auction at ARTcetera. In a surprising turn of events, the lucky winner of the Little Red Schoolhouse Raffle donated the playhouse back to be sold again to benefit the hospice house. Including the auction, raffle and resale of the house, PLAYcetera 2006 raised over $80,000!

Our Friends
This project was accomplished with major support from Johnson-Wilson Constructors, Max Gray Construction and NorthStar Ford, as well as assistance from PLAYcetera friends: A.G. O’Brien, Andren’s, Carpenters Local 361 and 606, Duke's Towing, Duluth Brass Manufacturing, H.T. Klatzky and Associates; Electrical Workers Local 242, Hermantown Lumber, Johnson Carpet One, Miller-Hill Mall, Mudek Flooring, Northern Door and Hardware, Painters and Allied Trades Local 106, Joanie Schneider, and St. Germain's Casework, and Superior Publishing.

Past PLAYcetera Events:
PLAYcetera 2007
PLAYcetera 2006
PLAYcetera 2005