GULF SHORES, Ala. — The Gulf Shores Woman’s Club will be sponsoring its 32nd annual Tour of Homes with five of the most beautiful homes in south Baldwin County.   

The event will be held Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

It is a self guiding tour with the directions  to each of the homes with the ticket.  

The cost of the ticket is $20, which includes five chances for $1,500 worth of prizes. 

The prize tickets may be placed at each home with the prizes  on display at the homes.

Many of the local  restaurants are offering discounts for lunch  to be used on that day of the tour.  

All proceeds are donated to local scholarships, libraries, woman’s shelters and schools   

Tickets may be purchased at  Jubilee Gifts and Apparel, Flowers By the Shore and Diamond Jewelers in Gulf Shores. 

In Foley, they may be purchased  at Fran’s on 59  and St. Charles Place in Orange Beach. 

According to Sharon Rogers, publicity chair for the Woman’s Club, the tours began in December 1976 with a Christmas Tour.

Tea was served at the final home on the tour, the cost of a ticket was $2, and most of the proceeds were used to purchased items for the tea. 

The tour was expanded in 1977 to include two homes in Bon Secour.

For additional $1.50, Rogers said, guests could board a bus that would take them to the homes. 

The price of a ticket was raised to $5, which covered the price of the tea and left a profit. 

Together, with the proceeds from the first tour, $2,000 was presented to the city of Gulf Shores to help purchase a “big, red, emergency rescue vehicle”. 

The $800  proceeds from the 1978 tour were used to refurbish the Gulf Shores Community House. 

In 1979, the Tour was cancelled in the wake of Hurricane Frederic. 

Instead, Rogers said, members prepared  a Christmas dinner for those members whose homes had been destroyed. 

The only other year without a tour was 1981 when the date was changed from December 1981 to April 1982. 

In 1989, the date of the tour was moved to February to include winter visitors. 

That same year the institution of the first scholarship was awarded. 

A raffle was added to the program in 2002, each home displayed a prize that was awarded to a guest who had purchased raffle ticket with the tour ticket. 

In 2004, the raffle tickets were included in the price of the ticket. 

Local businesses support this effort by donating the raffle prizes.  In part due to the success of this fundraiser, GSWC has donated more than $200,000 in the past 20 years to area agencies and organizations. 

“The generosity of our homeowners, businesses, club members, and supporters has made the Annual Tour of Homes an event that truly makes a difference in our community,” Rogers said.

For information and tickets please call 251 968-4481  or 233-3550.