With a history spanning over 200 years, the Wildfair Mansion in Chester, New Jersey—this year’s biennial Mansion in May—has witnessed decades come and go. On Saturday, May 10, the mansion relived the ’60s with its “Motown Magic at the Mansion” philanthropic event, where approximately 150 partygoers moved and grooved through the night in support of the Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC).
Complete with a silent auction, themed signature cocktails, and a delectable dinner, the affair raised funds for Morristown Medical Center’s new Proton Therapy Center, a cutting-edge cancer treatment facility set to open in 2026. The Center will make the Morristown Medical Center the first hospital in New Jersey to utilize this technology and Atlantic Health System the only provider offering it on the East Coast. Proton therapy is a type of radiation treatment that delivers a precise beam of protons to destroy tumor cells, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“Motown Magic at the Mansion” sold out and amassed a waiting list in the final week, establishing the fundraiser as an overall success. Special Events Chair Courtney Urfer Thompson, who organized the event, said, “The goal of the evening was to raise funds for the hospital’s new Proton Therapy Center, to raise overall awareness about the project and to give our guests a beautiful evening, and I think we managed to accomplish all three. I loved seeing the dance floor packed with guests of all ages. The conga line was the cherry on top!”
Mansion in May
The Mansion in May Designer Showhouse & Gardens is the signature fundraising event hosted by WAMMC, a volunteer group boasting over 400 members. Since its inauguration in 1974, Mansion in May has held 20 events, garnering nearly $14 million to enrich the programs and facilities of Morristown Medical Center. Every other spring, Mansion in May attracts over 20,000 supporters from the New Jersey-New York area to various estates assigned as that year’s mansion of honor.
“Morristown Medical has always been there for my family. From childhood injuries, to appendectomies, to hospice. Any chance I have to support them, I will,” Urfer Thompson continued. “The Women’s Association is unique as a fully volunteer organization operating under the umbrella of the Foundation. When you see something the scale of Mansion in May and realize this is all accomplished by people rolling up their sleeves and volunteering their time and resources, it’s awe-inspiring.”
Wildfair Mansion transformed from a working farm as well as a gristmill, sawmill, and millstone workshop to its current elegant landscape, reimagined by 36 interior designers and 13 landscape architects. Never having been simply a house, the mansion presently serves as a testament to the evolution of history, art, and now philanthropy.
Image Credit: Jacques Cornell, Happening Photos
Though “Motown Magic in the Mansion” has ended, guests can still visit the Mansion, enjoy the landscaped gardens, shop in the boutiques, and have lunch on the grounds at Barn Bistro through May 31 on both self-guided and private tours. All proceeds benefit WAMMC.
Image Credit: Jacques Cornell, Happening Photos
