Rogerson Communities raised $809,350 in support of our mission at the Welcome Home Gala on October 8. With more than $300,000 of the total amount coming from the event’s live auction and paddle raise, the night became Rogerson’s most successful single evening of fundraising in our 166-year history.

Nearly 250 Rogerson allies—civic, business, and community leaders from across the Commonwealth—were in attendance at the 27th annual event, which began with a cocktail reception in Boston Harbor Hotel’s Wharf Room. As evening fell over the harbor outside, attendees moved into the main dining room and the program began.

Emcee Jamie McDonald welcomed the crowd and introduced Board Chair Mary Jeka. Mary called attention to the crisis in affordable housing and care affecting older adults in Massachusetts, and how Rogerson is meeting this challenge by expanding our footprint by 1,000 homes for older adults by 2030. She then took a few moments to mark the recent passing of three key Rogerson supporters: former Board Chairs Brit d’Arbeloff and David S. Lee, and philanthropist Jane T.N. Fogg.

President and CEO Walter Ramos took the stage next to remember a champion of housing equity and civil rights in Boston who passed away this fall, Victoria Williams. A former leader of Boston’s Office of Civil Rights and Fair Housing Commission, Victoria was also Co-President of Forward, Inc., a community service organization that has partnered with Rogerson to develop hundreds of affordable homes in Roxbury. Walter presented a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award in Victoria’s honor to her sister, Lynne McCall.

Back onstage, Jamie kicked off one of the evening’s most-anticipated events: a rousing live auction. In full, high-energy auctioneer mode, he crisscrossed the room calling out increments and cheering on the crowd as they bid on items such as a trip to Tuscany, a golf experience at St Andrews, and a week-long stay at a ski-in, ski-out condo in Vail, among others. The auction raised $120,000 for Rogerson’s mission in just 30 minutes.

Following dinner, Walter took to the stage again and stressed the chronically short supply of affordable homes, memory care, and support for older adults in Massachusetts. Rogerson’s response to the crisis, he said, was summed up the in the gala’s theme: building for the future.

“It’s more than a theme,” he declared. “It’s a call to action. It’s a promise.”

Noting that Rogerson currently has some 600 homes in the development pipeline, Walter described five specific projects in various stages of pre-development. He highlighted the new Rogerson House redevelopment in Jamaica Plain that uniquely includes both memory care and affordable independent living; the expansion of the Daggett-Crandall-Newcomb Home in Norton from a 25-bed rest home to a 250-home campus; and the redevelopment of a long-vacant, historic hospital dormitory in Worcester into nearly 100 affordable homes. He also described plans for a new 26-bed memory care wing at Pond Home in Wrentham and more than 100 new affordable homes on American Legion Highway in Roslindale, blocks from Rogerson’s headquarters.

Walter praised the dedication of Rogerson’s real estate team, led by VP of Real Estate Construction & Design Ken Crisafulli, as well as the generosity of donors. He was also quick to point out that this steady focus on building extends beyond literal bricks and mortar to the human communities that depend on our organization.

“At the heart of everything we do are the people we serve,” he said. “The older adults who wake up in our communities and the families who trust us with someone they love.”

He then turned the stage over to two such people, Crystal Bremberger, whose sister is a resident of Rogerson House, and Judy Mongello, a resident of Longfellow House in Roslindale.

Crystal recounted her family’s struggles to manage her sister’s early-onset dementia, and the peace of mind they received from Rogerson House, where her sister found connection, purpose, and joy in the social day program and later as a full-time resident.

Judy shared her wish to live near her grandchildren, a seemingly simple and universal desire made nearly impossible for older adults on fixed incomes because of Boston’s housing prices. While saying she felt lucky to have spent only two and a half years on a waiting list for her affordable home, she pointed out how precious that time is to older adults, and how important it is to build more such homes, thanking the crowd for supporting the cause.

Jamie McDonald returned to the stage one final time to kick off Welcome Home’s penultimate event—a fund-the-mission pledge drive. Following his urging to do just a little bit more to support the Rogerson mission, the crowd added another $187,350 to the gala’s total within only 15 minutes.

The evening concluded with the presentation of the Charles E. Rogerson Award, bestowed annually upon a Bostonian who exemplifies the values of service, compassion, and impact. This year the award went to John L. Hall II, First Vice Chair of Rogerson’s Board of Directors, and was presented by Brent Berc, John’s fellow board member, friend, and protégé. Brent described John’s five decades of work in real estate development, affordable housing, and community service, including his leadership and philanthropy on Rogerson’s behalf. He also shared in deeply personal terms how John’s mentorship and guidance had shaped his own life and career, particularly in difficult times.

“John and Rogerson were made for each other,” Brent summed up. “Rogerson does for thousands of older adults what John has done for so many: It gives them someone in their corner, someone to help them stand on their own. For the people Rogerson serves, John is that hand on their shoulder, even if they never know his name.”

Accepting his award, John thanked Walter and Rogerson for working to turn buildings into homes. He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to his friends, business partners, and family—including his wife Annie, and his children Ashley, Daphne, Emily, Jake, and Sarah —who occupied no less than five full tables at the front of the room. He concluded with a call to action of his own: “Together we can continue building something even more important than real estate—we can build strong communities, lasting friendships, and places that people are proud to call home.”

By the end of the evening, Welcome Home had tallied a total of $809,350, exceeding our 2025 total by nearly seventy percent. Vice President of Advancement Bob Sherburne attributed the success to values shared among Rogerson’s supporters.

“Raising over three-quarters of a million dollars is a testament to what our community can accomplish when people come together around the shared conviction that everyone deserves access to an affordable home and compassionate care,” he said.

“An event like this is truly a communal effort,” concurred Walter. “There are hundreds of acts of generosity in our final tally. Every sponsorship, every donated item, every volunteer hour, bid, and ticket helped. And each one will ultimately help us build a better future for older adults.”