GKHS Hosts Annual Gala to Celebrate Kent History
The Greater Kent Historical Society (GKHS) is having its annual fundraising Gala “Awareness of the Past through Landmarks” on Oct. 8th. The gala will include dinner and a presentation by Chris Moore who is the Director of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. His topic will be “The Crossroads of Heritage Tourism & Historic Preservation.”
GKHS runs the Kent History Museum out of the 108 year- old Bereiter house on 855 E. Smith St. Their mission is to collect, preserve and promote the history of the greater Kent region and Washington State. Throughout the year, the Greater Kent Historical Society…
• Puts on free lectures focused on local history
• Introduces countless school children to Kent’s colorful past on field trips
• Collects and archives photographs, letters, objects and documents from the area
• Assists with research, be it for genealogists searching for ancestors, city departments looking for information or property owners curious about the people who lived in their homes before them
• Gives tours of the historic home weekly to residents and out-of-town visitors alike
• Hosts numerous private events & meetings throughout the year as well as two open houses
• Participates in Experience Historic Kent month
• Shares Kent’s history online & on social media
The Historic Society and Museum are important because getting to know the local history brings together a community. It makes people feel more rooted in the place they live and therefore with each other. Feeling connected is the first step to getting anything good done in a community.
As their main fundraiser, the gala supports the Society’s work for the entire year. Sure to be a great time, there will also be a basket raffle, a wine raffle and a dessert dash.
Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased at the museum (open Wed-Sat, 12 PM – 4 PM) or online here. The event will take place at the Kent Senior Activity Center at 600 E. Smith St., Kent, from 5:30 PM-9:00 PM on Saturday Oct 8th.
Please call the museum at 253-854-4330 with questions.
Story and photos by Michelle Gehlman-Teeter for iLoveKent.net
