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Acadia National Park
The Stars Are Aligned for a Magical Night
Join us for the 35th Annual Friends of Acadia Benefit & Auction at Cover Farm.
July 26th, 2024
BY JEN BYER
Get ready for an unforgettable evening as we come together to celebrate the 35th Annual Friends of Acadia Benefit & Auction!
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, August 10, at the breathtaking Cover Farm, a 26-acre property that offers a stunning view of Frenchman Bay. It’s been decades since we have introduced a new location for our Annual Benefit, and Cover Farm promises to provide the perfect backdrop for this momentous occasion.
Cover Farm is rich in history, dating back to 1792. The property was first owned by Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac, the namesake for Cadillac Mountain. The current family acquired the property in 1922, and it features a beautiful apple orchard dating back to around 1917 and an enchanting walled garden, making it an ideal setting for our celebration.
A full dancefloor at the Annual Friends of Acadia Benefit & Auction. (Photo by Sam Mallon/Friends of Acadia)
This year’s Benefit continues our tradition of community, revelry, and support for Acadia National Park. We will feature both live and silent auctions with an array of incredible items, including artwork, jewelry, multi-day trips, and unique experiences in Acadia and beyond. The evening will also include a cocktail reception, a delicious three-course dinner, live music, and dancing to the Sultans of Swing.
Join Us at this Year's Annual Benefit!
Historic Cover Farm
Cover Farm is a delight in great part thanks to its location. The long driveway runs alongside a meadow, beyond which is eye-catching Frenchman Bay. But there’s impressive historical significance to be found here, too.
Cover Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architecture, including an early nineteenth-century cape house with Greek Revival and Colonial Revival period alterations as well as a designed walled garden that has survived virtually unchanged.
More recently, the property belonged to Lois and Westy Frazier. Westy was from Chestnut Hill, PA, and served as a lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps, completing 58 missions in the Pacific and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Lois was the great granddaughter of Alexander Johnston Cassatt, one-time president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Lois loved Mount Desert Island and knew all the trails and carriage roads well. She was a member of the Wild Gardens of Acadia Committee since the early 1980s and served as secretary for 15 years.
Both she and her husband volunteered for many years at the Wild Gardens, in addition to several other local nonprofits.
We’re Diggin’ This Year’s Paddle Raise
A highlight of the night is our Paddle Raise, aptly themed “Can We Dig It? Yes We Can!”
We are raising funds this year to purchase new heavy equipment for Acadia National Park. The park’s current fleet, acquired in the early to mid-90s, is aging and increasingly difficult to maintain.
This equipment is essential for routine maintenance of the park’s carriage roads and bridges as well as Acadia’s ability to recover from storm damage, which has been frequent and unprecedented in scale.
The need for heavy equipment is more critical now than ever before.
Having new equipment readily available will enable the park to respond quickly, without delays associated with fixing old equipment or renting equipment and training operators how to use it.
Our goal for the Paddle Raise is $300,000 to purchase new equipment, beginning with replacing two of the oldest and most heavily used dump trucks. These trucks are critical for maintaining the park’s infrastructure, and every contribution helps ensure Acadia remains pristine and accessible for future generations.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our Presenting Sponsor, Chilton Trust. We are also immensely thankful for our trio of Benefit Chairs, Anne Green, Jill Hinckley, and Lydia Kimball, whose leadership and dedication have been invaluable, as well as the entire Benefit Committee for their support of our beloved event.
Join us for a night of celebration, community, and impactful giving!
Can We Dig It? Yes We Can!
For additional questions about the Annual Benefit or Paddle Raise contact Jen Byer, special events coordinator, at 207-370-4910 or jen_byer@friendsofacadia.org.
