The D.C. Preservation League combined its annual fund-raiser and 40th anniversary celebration last night at the Wonder Bread Factory, resulting in more than twice the revenue from last year’s fund-raiser. The organization raised $127,500 with a sold-out V.I.P. reception for 240 local developers and real estate professionals. Nearly 400 people attending overall.
Executive director Rebecca Miller credits the increase to the improved economy, more sponsors, and a Groupon deal offered by the organization. “There’s also been a distinct change in the economy and people are really developing here,” she said. “[And the Groupon] helped make a greater variety of people aware of historical preservation, and new sponsors brought new people with them.”
The Groupon deal offered a 50 percent discount on membership—$25 for an individual or $37 for families—to the Preservation League, plus an additional $10 discount on the event ticket for members. The event attracted 73 sponsors, about 30 more than last year, donating between $500 and $5,000. The top sponsor of the night, Douglas Development, supplied the unconventional venue.
“We were looking for something that was outside of downtown, and Douglas Development is a big supporter of ours and offered this space,” Miller said. “We try to do events in rough spaces because it gets people there to see it for the first time.”
VRS Meetings & Events took inspiration from the venue’s former tenant and used red, yellow, and blue decor to decorate the industrial space. In addition to high-tops draped in the colored linens, office furniture supplier Knoll Furniture provided a variety of lounge groupings throughout three rooms of the space. Each room also had a food station from Nellie’s Sports Bar with a variety of sliders, chicken wings, and other pub grub, as well as Cuban dishes like rice and beans, grilled vegetables, and empanadas from Cubano's.
