Mount Auburn continues to receive thoughtful , generous and loyal support from our members ( now over 1,300 strong ) and other donors to the Annual Fund — including individuals , foundations and corporate sponsors . Clearly , our ongoing yearlong 175th Anniversary celebration and the widespread press and public attention our many special 175th events and programs have received have had a positive impact on membership and contributions .

As we go to press , the Friends of Mount Auburn Annual Fund 2007 has received over $ 164,126 in gifts , exceeding our goal of $ 155,000 , an increase of 21 % over the same time last year of the fiscal year that ends March 31 . Membership contributions to the Friends are also up this year , about 3 % over last year .

Total giving from all sources to all funds , cash in to date , is $ 603,283 , up 8 % from last year .

Special 175th Anniversary Gifts

For the 175th Anniversary celebration , Mount Auburn has received some very special contributions : Cambridge Savings Charitable Foundation donated $ 25,000 to underwrite the production of the 175th Anniversary program

brochure ( mailed or distributed to over 50,000 people in the greater Boston area ), and Cambridge Trust Company gave us $ 10,000 to fund the design , production and installation of the festive banners hung this past fall along Cambridge ’ s Mount Auburn Street from the Cemetery to Harvard Square ( and soon to reappear this spring ). With its gift of over $ 56,000 , The Anthony J . and Mildred D . Ruggiero Memorial Trust ( Tucson , AZ ) gave a major boost to the 175th lecture series ,“ Facets of Mount Auburn : Celebrating 175 Years of a Boston Jewel ,” seven lectures on various topics ( horticulture , birding , history , art and architecture , etc .) held throughout the year at the Boston Public Library . Other significant support for the lecture series was received from The James W . Flett Company , Inc ., ( Belmont , MA ) and The Lowell Institute of Boston .

We also received a $ 3,000 gift from the Halvorson Design Partnership ( Boston ) to fund a well-attended , lovely Saturday afternoon concert in Story Chapel in October by musicians from the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston , a first for both Pro Arte and Mount Auburn ! And Whole Foods , River Street , Cambridge donated food and service for the commemoration of the 175th anniversary of Mount Auburn ’ s consecration , held on Bigelow Chapel Lawn on September 24 .

The grand finale to the yearlong celebration of Mount Auburn ’ s 175th Anniversary

6:00 - 7:00 pm : Cocktails in Asa Gray Garden ( weather permitting ) & Silent Auction of special Victorian-era items and horticultural services

7:30 pm Celebration Dinner under a clear tent , Bigelow Chapel Lawn

Music and program during dinner

Tickets : $ 275 per person

To benefit the preservation of the extraordinary historical and natural resources of Mount Auburn Please call 617-607-1995 for an invitation or more information