Mansion Memories Holiday affair complete with music, cheer

Mansion Memories celebrated the holiday season with a musical-themed Welcome Back celebration tailored to families in crisis.

The Dec. 8 event invited former Magical Day families back to the Burrage Mansion to create new memories with the nonprofit and its many volunteers, said Dianna Lawson, the group’s executive director.

Highlights of Mansion Memories’ “Welcome Back Sing Along” included meet and greets with therapy dogs from Inland Empire Therapy Dogs, a Magic show and various arts and crafts stationed around the home. 

The event closed with the anticipated sing-along themed around the concept, “Christmas Around the World, which saw character actors in attendance acting out shared Christmas traditions and a song from the country they represented to the delight of all in attendance.

“Thank you so much again, Mansion Memories, for another amazing afternoon,” said parent Heather Gauthier. “We always have such a wonderful time with you. I so appreciate all you do for children. It means more than you could ever imagine.”

More than 150 attended the event which was made possible with the help of more than 50 volunteers and several community partners. Each family also took home a set of books donated by Stater Bros. Charities.

The mission of Mansion Memories is to serve children in crisis and their families by providing lasting memories through its Magical Day events at no cost to families in attendance.

Each Magical Day celebration looks to empower and inspire families to focus on laughter, love, and happiness and healing tools while dealing with illness, loss or other hardships, Lawson said.

All Magical Day families who attend are nominated by local groups and community partners to take part in the festivities.

“It can be scary to be a child in general, but there are some children in our community who are going through stress and crises most of us can’t conceive,” said Toni Momberger, a supporter of the nonprofit and Redlands councilwoman. “Mansion Memories does a beautiful thing creating days for these children and their families to forget their worries for a little while.”

To learn more about the nonprofit and how to help its cause, go to www.mansionmemories.org.

By Kristina Hernandez