John Dulude builds dollhouses to help Maine organizations raise money- QHN

STEVE MINICH EXPLAINS. (07-05-24) “THESE ARE HARDWOODS FLOORS I DO, EACH ONE IS AN INDIVIDUAL STICK” WHEN JOHN DULUDE GETS TO BUILDING ONE OF HIS “DOLL HOUSES”,,, THERE IS NO DETAIL TOO INSIGNIFICANT…… -NATS- ALWAYS JUST A HOBBY….. (07-10- 30)(JOHN DULUDE/DOLLHOUSE BUILDER) “I JUST LIKE BUILDING THEM” THIS RETIRED INSURANCE COMPANY OWNER FIRST BUILT DOLLHOUSES DECADES AGO FOR HIS DAUGTERS,,,,, THESE DAYS,,, VALUED AT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS,,, HE’S DONATING HIS WORK TO HELP RAISE MONEY.. (07-10-42)(DULUDE) “I DIDN’T WANT TO SELL THEM (BUTT TO 07- 10-54) THEN I BELONG TO THE LEGION AND I SAID I WANT TO TRY A RAFFLE, SO WE’VE DONE THREE THERE.” ALONG WITH THAT AMERICAN LEGION POST,, HE’S BUILT AND GIVEN AWAY DOLL HOUSES TO CHURCHES,, AND OTHER LOCAL CHARITIES,,, MORE THAN A DOZEN, SO FAR,, WHICH BY RAFFLING THEM OFF,, HAVE RAISED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS….. (07-23-40)(JOHN GOUVEIA/COMMANDER, AMERICAN LEGION POST 74) “WE DID NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE SELLING TICKETS ONCE THEY SAW THE HOUSE.” JOHN’S LATEST COMPLETION,,, THIS NINE ROOM COLONIAL WILL SOON BE RAFFLED BY THE KENNEBUNK AMERICAN LEGION TO HELP FUND AN ANNUAL SCHOLORSHIP — EVERY TICKET, SOLD OUT… (07-23-06)(GOUVEIA) “WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL, JOHN IS VERY GENEROUS AND YOU CAN SEE THIS HOUSE IS PROBABLY WORTH A LOT MORE THAN THE TICKETS WE SOLD.” –NATS OF JOHN WORKING– EACH DOLL HOUSE STARTS AS A PRE PURCHASED KIT — (06-59-44) ‘I’LL PROBABLY PUT SOME BOARDS, SOME STAINED BOARDS IN THERE’ BUT RARELY DOES ONE OF JOHN’S EVER END AS THE DIRECTIONS MIGHT SUGGEST IT SHOULD…. FLOORING,, WALLPAPER,, BRICK WORK,,, ALL MATICULOUSY INSTALLED TO MAKE EACH OF HIS DOLLHOUSES ONE OF A KIND.. (07-12-31)(DULUDE) “BASICALLY THE KIT IS A BUNCH OF PLYWOOD THAT’S STUCK TOGETHER AND THEN YOU GO WITH IT, YOU CAN DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT.” PROUD THAT THIS HOBBY OF HIS IS HELPING TO RAISE A LOT OF MONEY — AT 80 PLUS YEARS OLD,, THAT PHILANTHROPY IS HELPING TO FUEL JOHN’S ENERGY TO KEEP BUILDING,,,, YOU SEE THE NEXT ONE IS ALREADY WELL ON ITS WAY. (07-14- 08)(DULUDE) “IT KEPT ME ALWAYS HAVING ONE IN THE PROCESS, I DIN’T BUILD A SUPPLY OF THEM, IT JUST KIND OF WORKED OUT THAT I’D GIVE ONE AWAY AND I’D START ANOTHER ONE.” JOHN SAYS THE TYPICAL DOLLHOUSE KIT COSTS BETWEEN 3 AND 5-HUNDRED DOLLARS,,, BUT, BY THE TIME HE’S FINISHED,, HE’S ADDED ANOTHER 4- HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF HIS OWN MATERIALS. THAT IS JUST ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY ARE SO VALUABLE

Man builds dollhouses to help Southern Maine organizations raise money

Updated: 10:51 AM EST Nov 14, 2022

John Dulude has helped several Southern Maine organizations raise thousands of dollars by building dollhouses.“These are hardwood floors I do. Each one is an individual stick,” Dulude said as he showed WMTW’s Steve Minich one of his houses.When he begins building his dollhouses, no detail is too insignificant.“I just like building them,” Dulude said.Dulude, a retired insurance company owner, first built the dollhouses decades ago for his daughters. These days, valued at hundreds of dollars, he’s donating his work to help raise money. “I didn’t want to sell them. I belong to the legion, and I said I want to try a raffle, so we’ve done three there,” Dulude said.Along with that American Legion post, he’s built and given away dollhouses to churches and other local charities. With more than a dozen raffled off, thousands have been raised.Dulude’s latest completion is a nine-room colonial home that will be raffled by Kennebunk American Legion to help fund an annual scholarship. Every ticket has been sold.Each dollhouse starts as a pre-purchased kit, but rarely does the project end as the directions suggest. “Basically, the kit is a bunch of plywood that’s stuck together, and then you go with it. You can do just about anything you want,” Dulude said.He is proud his hobby is helping raise money. At over 80 years old, he says the philanthropy is helping to fuel him to keep building.“It kept me always having one in the process. I didn’t build a supply of them. It just kind of worked out that I’d give one away and I’d start another one,” Dulude said.

KENNEBUNK, Maine —

John Dulude has helped several Southern Maine organizations raise thousands of dollars by building dollhouses.

“These are hardwood floors I do. Each one is an individual stick,” Dulude said as he showed WMTW’s Steve Minich one of his houses.

When he begins building his dollhouses, no detail is too insignificant.

“I just like building them,” Dulude said.

Dulude, a retired insurance company owner, first built the dollhouses decades ago for his daughters. These days, valued at hundreds of dollars, he’s donating his work to help raise money.

“I didn’t want to sell them. I belong to the legion, and I said I want to try a raffle, so we’ve done three there,” Dulude said.

Along with that American Legion post, he’s built and given away dollhouses to churches and other local charities.

With more than a dozen raffled off, thousands have been raised.

Dulude’s latest completion is a nine-room colonial home that will be raffled by Kennebunk American Legion to help fund an annual scholarship. Every ticket has been sold.

Each dollhouse starts as a pre-purchased kit, but rarely does the project end as the directions suggest.

“Basically, the kit is a bunch of plywood that’s stuck together, and then you go with it. You can do just about anything you want,” Dulude said.

He is proud his hobby is helping raise money. At over 80 years old, he says the philanthropy is helping to fuel him to keep building.

“It kept me always having one in the process. I didn’t build a supply of them. It just kind of worked out that I’d give one away and I’d start another one,” Dulude said.