Thank you for supporting the 23rd Spirit of Mount Vernon
On behalf of the Regent and Vice Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, thank you to our sponsors and guests who attended and supported the 23rd Spirit of Mount Vernon on October 3, 2024. We entered the event with the most raised in sponsorships to-date, and thanks to the auction, we reached $1 million for Mount Vernon’s mission by the end of the night. Huzzah! This incredibly meaningful generosity supports our mission of education, historic preservation, and the legacy of George Washington. We are grateful to have such wonderful ambassadors for Mount Vernon. We hope you will mark your calendar and please remember to include this event and important institution in your 2025 budget.
Please Save the Date:
Thursday, October 9, 2025
24th Spirit of Mount Vernon Sunset Reception and Dinner
A special thanks goes out to the event’s incredible 2024 Co-Chair team: Chip Davis, President & CEO, Healthcare Distribution Alliance; Matt Haller, President & CEO, International Franchise Association; Katherine Lugar, Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Hilton; and Peter Rowan, Vice President U.S. Public Relations, Mars Inc. Mount Vernon appreciates their extraordinary leadership! We are also grateful for Ford Motor Company’s steadfast support as our presenting sponsor for the evening, and the ongoing commitment of past co-chairs who continue to be ambassadors for this event and estate.
Please view the event’s program to see all of the 2024 event sponsors and supporters, as well as photos from the evening.
Looking at 2026 and America 250
As you look at your budgets, please consider not only 2025, but also 2026 for possible increased support as we celebrate the 250th birthday of America, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Spirit of Mount Vernon. George Washington and Mount Vernon will be central to the year’s celebrations and commemorations, and we hope all our past sponsors will return for a very special night.
Save The Date
Thursday, October 5, 2023 for the 22nd Annual Spirit of Mount Vernon Sunset Reception and Dinner
For more information and to sponsor in 2023, please contact Tammy Eddy, Corporate Gifts Officer, at teddy@mountveron.org or 703.799.5075.
The Spirit of Mount Vernon
Please join us on Thursday, October 3, 2024 for the 23rd Spirit of Mount Vernon Sunset Reception and Dinner. This special, celebratory night supports Mount Vernon’s mission of education, historic preservation, and the legacy of George Washington. In 2023 the event reached a milestone with a sold-out evening hosting 950 guests under the tent.
As Mount Vernon begins a critical revitalization effort to secure the foundation of the Mount Vernon Mansion by the country’s semi-quincentennial in 2026, our goal is to raise over $1 million in 2024!
The Spirit of Mount Vernon welcomes guests from the government affairs, association, corporate, and consulting communities, along with policymakers for this popular annual event. Highlights include a sunset reception on the east lawn overlooking the Potomac River, a patriotic moment with fireworks, dinner, and a live auction.
We hope you will join us for this iconic evening. Please mark your calendars and help us celebrate and support our foremost founding father’s leadership at his beloved home!
This event complies with Congressional and Administration ethics rules.
The Spirit of Mount Vernon
Photographer: Dan Chung
History of the Event
In late September of 2001, the association community, with the leadership of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, came together to begin an annual event, the Spirit of Mount Vernon, in support of Mount Vernon’s education and historic preservation mission. Notably, the inaugural event was held just days after the events of 9-11 and in the aftermath of one of the most challenging times in the history of our great nation.
As we celebrate this annual event, we reflect on the challenges our country has faced with an eye to the importance of Mount Vernon’s civics and educational mission. Thanks to the support of the government affairs community, the Spirit of Mount Vernon has become one of the most popular evenings on the Washington, D.C. social and charitable calendar and has become Mount Vernon’s single largest fundraiser.
Sponsor Benefits
Sponsor benefits include event participation and recognition, as well as estate benefits that can be utilized throughout the year.
Spirit of Mount Vernon Proceeds
The proceeds from the Spirit of Mount Vernon supports our mission to preserve, restore, and manage the estate of George Washington to the highest standards and to educate visitors and people throughout the world about the life and legacies of George Washington so that his example of character and leadership will continue to inform and inspire future generations.
Presenting Sponsor
Ford Motor Company
The Honorable Donald S. Beyer, Jr.
United State House of Representatives, (VA-8)
The Honorable Carlos Del Toro
United States Secretary of the Navy
Carly Fiorina
National Honorary Chair of Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission
2024 Co-Chair Leadership
Healthcare Distribution Alliance
Chester “Chip” Davis, Jr., President & CEO
International Franchise Association
Matthew Haller, President & CEO
Hilton
Katherine Lugar, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs
Mars, Inc.
Peter Rowan, Vice President U.S. Public Affairs
Lineage
Michael Skahill, Director, Government Relations
Platinum Sponsors
Anniversary Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Co-Sponsors
Double Patron Sponsors
Patron Sponsors
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association has owned and maintained George Washington’s Mount Vernon for more than 160 years.
Regent
Anne Neal Petri
Regent
Wisconsin
Vice Regents
Cameron Kock Mayer
Vice Regent for Louisiana
Maribeth Armstrong Borthwick
Vice Regent for California
Ann Haunschild Bookout
Vice Regent for Texas
Virginia Dawson Lane
Vice Regent for South Carolina
Laura Peebles Rutherford
Vice Regent for Alabama
Susan Marshall Townsend
Vice Regent for Delaware
Margaret Hartman Nichols
Vice Regent for Maine
Liz Rollins Mauran
Vice Regent for Rhode Island
Ann Cady Scott
Vice Regent for Missouri
Sarah Miller Coulson
Vice Regent for Pennsylvania
Andrea Notman Sahin
Vice Regent for Massachusetts
Catherine Hamilton Mayton
Vice Regent for Arkansas
Helen Herboth Laughery
Vice Regent for Wyoming
Catherine Marlette Waddell
Vice Regent for Illinois
Lucia Bosqui Henderson
Vice Regent for Virginia
Mary Lang Bishop
Vice Regent for Oregon
Elizabeth Medlin Hale
Vice Regent for Georgia
Ann Sherrill Pyne
Vice Regent for New York
Karen McCabe Kirby
Vice Regent for New Jersey
Hilary Carter West
Vice Regent for the District of Columbia
Adrian MacLean Jay
Vice Regent for Tennessee
Susan Brewster McCarthy
Vice Regent for Minnesota
Sarah Seaman Alijani
Vice Regent for Colorado
Carolyn Sherrill Fuller
Vice Regent for North Carolina
George Washington's Mount Vernon
George Washington’s skill as a general helped secure our independence. His leadership as our first president shaped this new nation. His enduring legacy continues to inspire us.
After falling into disrepair following his death in 1799, this historic property was rescued by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. They opened it to the public in 1860. It is now the most visited historic home in America.
As a private non-profit organization, Mount Vernon does not accept government funds. On-site sales and donations allow us to pursue our mission to teach the world about George Washington and preserve his beloved home for future generations.
Questions?
Please contact us at spiritofmv@mountvernon.org.