NAMES IN THE NEWS : Martha Stewart Mum on Charity

WESTPORT, Conn. — Home writer Martha Stewart has angered some in her hometown for refusing to disclose how much she raised for charity through a benefit decorator show house.

The show house was open for 20 days in May to benefit the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Fund, a charity for seriously ill children and their families founded by Stewart’s Westport neighbor, Paul Newman.

The show house and other events raised $210,000 for the charity, Stewart told The Advocate of Stamford. But she won’t say how much was raised specifically through the house.

About 9,000 people visited the house for $15 each, which would make the gross proceeds $135,000. Stewart said the house turned a profit for the camp, but that volunteers and visitors do not have a right to know what it is.

“I don’t think we should give the dollar amount,” Stewart said. “They all got $15 worth of information out of that house. Think of it this way: It’s like going to the movies.”