To the Editor: 
    When 1,200 people descend upon you, you’d better be ready. And ready Madison was! On behalf of the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center and the Board of Trustees, we would like to extend a sincere “Thank you!” to the terrific group of volunteers who committed their time to ensuring ticket holders for the Madison in May Tour of Homes saw the best of what Madison had to offer.
    It takes a village to put on a home tour of this size, and the Cultural Center is deeply grateful for the approximately 170 enthusiastic individuals who responded “Yes” when asked to help. The biggest thank you of all goes to the 15 homeowners without whom the tour could not have taken place: Carolyn and Andy Ainslie, Janet and Bob Beauchamp, Rosie and Don Becker, Margaret and Jerry Caldwell, Wilson Carter and the Carter Family, Lyn and Whitey Hunt, Julie and Felton Jenkins, Chris Lambert, Maureen and Will Lobb, Betsy and Sandy Morehouse, Ginny and Dan Rather, Bobbi and Bill Rushing, Rita and Steve Schaefer, Jane Symmes, and Anne and Robert Trulock.
    A dinner was held in their honor prior to the tour as a thank you, although the Center owes them so much more than that for their gift of opening their homes for our fund-raiser. The collection of homes offered this year was exceptional and attracted the attention of Georgia Public Broadcasting. The film crew came to Madison on Friday, May 1 and filmed at the Ainslie home and the Lambert home for an upcoming segment of "The Georgia Traveler," to air on Georgia Public Broadcasting TV sometime in October.
    Many thanks to Chris Lambert and the four generations of Andrew Ainslies who made themselves available to the TV cameras in the midst of the busy tour. Emmie Smock and Heather Cadle, this year’s co-chairs, exhibited endless energy and creativity in the months leading up to the tour.
    They put into place the team of docents and house captains who were invaluable during the tour, and we appreciate the time all these volunteers spent meeting, making phone calls, and extending a warm welcome to our guests. A final thank you to all those who worked behind the scenes performing such jobs as yard work, deciding transportation routes, managing receptions, driving buses, directing traffic, putting out signs, setting up and cleaning up.
    You are our unsung heroes! 
Patricia DuBose, Marketing Director, Madison-Morgan Cultural Center Elsie Monk, Special Events Director, Madison-Morgan Cultural Center Via e-mail