Tour of Homes Includes South Haven

WAHOO – After a two-year absence, the Holiday Tour of Homes is returning to Saunders County. The 2014 Holiday Tour of Homes will take place Dec. 6 and 7 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. both days. This year, the tour has been organized by the Relay For Life Team, “Team Sassy.” All the proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. “The Tour of Homes was something that people really seemed to enjoy, and I know the people I talked to missed it once it was no longer being held,” said Team Sassy member Diane Tillman. “So we thought it might make a good fundraiser for our Relay for Life team.” Team Sassy members started talking about the possibility of organizing the tour of homes in October 2013. “We thought about trying to hold it last year, but we just didn’t think we would have quite enough time to put it together,” said Tillman. This year, however, Team Sassy is ready for the event. The tour will include five different stops. Homes featured on the tour belong to Heidi and Lyle Dokulil, located at 359 North Linden Street, Julie and Jerry Divis, at 227 North Broadway Street, Bil Sloup at 842 North Broadway Street, the Howard Hanson House at 1147 North Linden Street and South Haven Living Center at 1400 Mark Drive. Each of these homes will be decked out in holiday cheer, giving tour participants a chance to look at both the holiday decor and the homes themselves. “We’ve got some really great houses on the tour, with a lot of them located close to each other in the older part of town,” said Tillman. “They’re all going to be so unique.” Tillman was also excited about the addition of South Haven to the tour route. She said it will offer an opportunity for some additional activities. “In the past, refreshments were served at each of the houses, but we felt that was just a lot for the homeowners to have to deal with,” explained Tillman. “So instead we’re going to offer refreshments just at South Haven where they have better facilities for that.” South Haven’s inclusion on the tour also provided adequate space for Team Sassy to hold a Holiday Boutique. “We hold these boutiques a couple times a year as another way to raise funds for our relay team,” said Tillman. “With South Haven on the tour, we thought it would be a wonderful space to do another one for the holidays.” Tillman said there are about 15 vendors signed up for the boutique. They will provide a variety of craft and gift items for sale or order. “We also thought it would be nice for the residents,” said Tillman. “Even if they don’t choose to buy anything, it’s a chance for them to get out and do a bit of window shopping without having to leave South Haven.” Tickets for the Holiday Tour of Homes are $7 apiece. They can be purchased prior to the event at Wahoo Pharmacy, Farmer’s Mutual Insurance and the Saunders County Museum. Tickets will also be available for purchase at each of the homes during the tour.  Reprinted from the Wahoo Newspaper