Detroit Yacht Club Foundation to Launch Operations With Inaugural Gala "Restoring the Grandeur" on December 1

DETROIT, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Detroit Yacht Club Foundation, a newly-formed 501(c)(3) non-profit supporting the preservation and restoration of the historic Detroit Yacht Club (DYC) clubhouse and related educational opportunities, announced today that it would formally begin operations with an Inaugural Gala entitled "Restoring the Grandeur" on December 1, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the DYC clubhouse on Belle Isle.  Tickets for the event, to include a strolling dinner with cash bar, music, dancing, and historic displays and activities, are available at $50 to all DYC members, guests, friends, and the public in advance at the club's reception desk at 313-824-1200 or by calling the foundation at 313-757-5240.

The Detroit Yacht Club Foundation was formed following the listing of the DYC's distinctive Belle Isle clubhouse on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. One of the architectural treasures of Detroit, the clubhouse was designed by the George D. Mason Company.  George Mason was also the architect of numerous other significant buildings, including Detroit's Masonic Temple, Gem Theater/Century Club, and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.  Dedicated by Detroit industrialist Gar Wood on August 30, 1923, the DYC clubhouse encompasses 93,000 sq. ft., making it the largest and one of the grandest yacht club facilities in the United States.

"The DYC clubhouse building is an historic and architecturally-significant asset to DYC members and guests, Belle Isle, and to the thousands of Detroiters who attend the many functions and events held at the clubhouse each year," said Mark L. Lifter, President, Detroit Yacht Club Foundation.  "Our mission is to raise funds to to help preserve and restore the 89-year-old clubhouse for the benefit of current and future generations.  We also make the structure available to interested architectural, historical, and other communities so that they will be able to experience and appreciate the fine craftsmanship and artistry of our extraordinary building.  Detroit has numerous historic buildings that rival any in the United States.  The DYC clubhouse is one of those structures, and our work is to help ensure that it continues to play its valuable role in the community for many years to come."  

The DYC Foundation is a separate entity, independent from the Detroit Yacht Club, that seeks to augment the club's own significant maintenance activities with additional support for maintenance, restoration and preservation.  The Foundation operates under its own Board of Trustees and Bylaws, consistent with state and federal regulations governing foundations, and is IRS-approved to receive tax-deductible donations.

About the Detroit Yacht Club Clubhouse
Designed by noted architect George Mason, the DYC clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as one of the Midwest's finest examples of Mediterranean Revival, a style that proved enduringly popular during the early years of the 20th century. Inspired by the fantasy city-by-the-sea Venice, Italy, the clubhouse building features many of the motifs of Mediterranean architecture, including the reddish tile roof, the buff-colored exterior walls, the asymmetrical massing, and the general air of informal, even rambling, design that perfectly reflects the summertime world of a boating community. The DYC clubhouse also ranks as the largest yacht clubhouse in the United States and as one of its most grand. Distinctive architectural elements include the clubhouse's magnificent ballroom with its massive fireplace, and the building's two grand stairways, one leading from the lobby to the second-floor ceremonial rooms, the other on the exterior of the clubhouse leading from the riverside docks to a veranda overlooking the river and city skyline. The workmanship present in the clubhouse, including a notable Pewabic Pottery fountain in the second floor dining room, contributes to making the DYC building one of Detroit's most distinguished works of architecture.  For more information about the historic DYC clubhouse, including the DYC's regular schedule of public tours and available tours for architectural and historic interest groups, please visit www.dyc.com and select the "About The Club," and "Our Historic Clubhouse" tabs.

About the Detroit Yacht Club Foundation
The Detroit Yacht Club Foundation is a non-profit organization formed to support the preservation and restoration of the historic DYC clubhouse and to facilitate educational opportunities that celebrate the historic nature of the Detroit Yacht Club.  Established in 2011, the DYC Foundation's status as a 501(c)(3) organization was approved by the IRS earlier this year, allowing the Foundation to receive donations and bequests of all sizes on a tax-deductible basis.  Funds raised by the DYC Foundation will be used to restore, maintain, and preserve our historically and architecturally significant clubhouse.  For more information about the Detroit Yacht Club Foundation, donor information, or to arrange a tour for your group, please contact the Foundation at 313-757-2540, e-mail [email protected] or visit the foundation on Facebook at facebook.com/DYCFoundation.

SOURCE Detroit Yacht Club Foundation