The Murrieta Train Project — a Steaming Success!
We are delighted to share that Aimee Edgeworth, Spring ‘23 Grantee, hosted a very successful Steampunk Tea Party Fundraiser on August 5th with an incredible turnout. This Let’s Choose Love sponsored event was created in partnership with many local organizations in Murrieta, California, to serve as a community gathering and fundraiser for the Murrieta Train Project.
A Steampunk Tea Party was complete with tea, lace, old-fashioned treats, trains, costumes, and live music. The party was adorned with lace tablecloths, miniature trains, and tea sandwiches. For entertainment, there was a live lace-making demonstration, face painting, a costume contest, a photo booth with a train background, and live music, including a harps player.
The fundraiser raised over $6,600 for the future Train Car Cultural Arts Center through ticket sales, a successful silent auction, and donations from local businesses. Aimee was happy to announce that she reached her goal of selling 100 tickets, was able to give some tickets away to key community members, and sold all of the items on the silent auction. Twenty percent of the proceeds went directly back to the Murrieta Valley Historical Society, a key partner in planning the event and bringing the Murrieta Train project to life. This donation will support future historical preservation efforts and the local Murrieta Museum.
To help make this event possible, Aimee elicited the help of volunteers from the community, the local historical society, and the local chapter of the National Charity League group of mothers and daughters. Many local businesses supported the event, including the library, local Montague Brothers Coffee, a florist, and the Grocery Outlet.
Going forward, Aimee is excited to host more fundraisers and local events using many of the supplies purchased for this event. She will be attending an event at the Southern California Railway Museum soon where she can raise awareness, raise more funds, and teach some historical art classes. Aimee will be teaching historical art classes at the local library this Fall and painting a few historical murals in the area. To continue to pursue the dream of creating a cultural arts center, Aimee is applying for more grants and pitching her project at city council meetings and to potential financial sponsors.
“Thanks so much for helping me get here!!!! I truly believe it was receiving the grant from Let's Choose Love that was not only a financial catalyst but really empowered me to take this project and my mindset to the next level, and beyond! I am so blown away by how much I have been able to accomplish through reaching out to our community to educate them about local history and about this project, and inspire them to be part of something that honors that.” - Aimee
We are grateful to have played a small role in the Murrieta Train Project to support Aimee in her dreams of bringing her community together through a cultural art center. You can learn more about the Pearl Center for Creative Arts and the amazing Steampunk Tea Party here.
