Friends' Celebration Update

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For the seventh year in a row, the Friends of the Gloversville Public Library hosted a successful Celebration fundraiser. The event took place last Sunday, Sept. 22, in the Library. The event raised over $28,000, which helped to round out the funding needed to complete the Library’s window renovation project.

Chairwomen Lyn Kicinski and Betsy Bachelor extend their gratitude to the dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors.

 

Celebration Update

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This year’s Celebration is right around the corner. If you haven’t marked you calendar already, it’s September 22, from noon to 2 p.m. at the library. Join us while we “Celebrate the People of the Adirondacks.” Tickets are $30 per person and are due by September 13. Please submit this reservation form with payment.

Gracious donors have made a wonderful basket raffle possible again this year. The raffle baskets are on display in the library. Tickets can be purchased for $1 each or six for $5. This year there are two megabaskets, valued at more than $800 each. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Winners will be drawn at the Celebration, but you need not be present to win.

Our auction will truly celebrate the wonderful people hailing from and living in our area. We will feature returning favorites and new standouts—a restaurant package; artwork; glass work; fabric pieces; and entertainment and home décor offerings and services. And we will be auctioning a signed copy of Gloversville native, Joseph E. Persico’s latest book, Roosevelt’s Centurions: FDR and the Commanders He Led to Victory in World War II.

The event will be catered by the Union Hall Inn. There will be food stations serving sweet and savory small bites. Limited first‐floor seating will be available—plenty of seating upstairs. Admission is $30. Reservations may be made in the library. 

Baskets are back.

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The 2013 Celebration is underway with 23 baskets on display at the Library.
Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5 for baskets valued over $100.
Tickets for the 'mega-baskets' valued over $800 are $5 each or 5 for $20.

Tickets will be on sale through Saturday, Sept 21.

"Creating Adirondack Memories" 

"Creating Adirondack Memories" 

"Celebrating the People of the Adirondacks" is the theme of this year's Friends' fundraiser.  The brunch and silent auction with basket raffle will be held on Sunday, September 22, 2013 at the Library.  The goal this year is $20,000 toward the Library's window replacement project, scheduled to start this fall.

 

 

From the Friends—Celebrating Life in the Adirondacks

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The 6th annual Celebration was yet another success and featured a change in venue this year.  A library awash in color greeted one hundred guests and supporters who attended the Friends of the Gloversville Public Library annual fundraiser on Sunday, September 23. 

Arrangements of mums and bouquets of fall flowers filled every room, beautifully highlighting an array of raffle baskets, silent auction items and buffet tables of gourmet hors d’oeuvres and desserts.  This year’s Celebration event, based on the theme of “Celebrating Life in the Adirondacks”, was the 6th annual fundraiser presented by the Friends to benefit the historic Carnegie library.

Library director Barbara Madonna commented, “It was a pleasure to welcome so many people to my home-away-from-home and to showcase all of the improvements made possible by past Celebrations.  The volunteers and staff did another fantastic job of not only raising money for the library but of shining a positive spotlight on the library.  This is a special event every year and I am grateful to be a part of it.”

This year’s Celebration raised over $28,000, and Friends members and Madonna were thrilled that it was the most successful Celebration yet. Madonna noted that the Friends have directed that the proceeds be used as ‘seed money’ toward the long-overdue replacement of the library’s windows.  She said that the windows are old, ill-fitting and drafty, and have no “R” rating.

Pat Beck served as mistress of ceremonies for the event. She pointed out that this was the first Celebration to be held in the library itself, and encouraged people to “look around and see first-hand” the many improvements made possible by the previous five Celebrations.  Colorful autumn leaves marking these improvements could be seen on new lighting fixtures, the repainted lobby and dome, new furnishings in the Children’s Room and Reading Room, and the recently cleaned and restored building façade.

During the event, Beck drew the names of twenty-two basket raffle winners.   The baskets had been donated by members of the Friends and the community, and had been on display at the library since mid August.  The silent auction tables were filled with items donated by nineteen area artisans, artists and businesses, and attracted a great deal of bidding interest. 

Auction Basket Winner

Auction Basket Winner

Sub-committee members for the event included: Basket Coordinators – Nancy Krawczeski and Barbara Reppenhagen; Basket Labels and Auction Signs – Linda Callahan; Basket Wrapping - Barbara Tucci and Trina Zimmerman, assisted by Donna Kuhner and Barb Madonna; and Decorations – Traci DiMezza.

Robison and Smith donated the linens.  Linda Hinkle of Linda Hinkle Graphic Design  donated the posters, invitations and program cover design. Special thanks were extended to Don Fleischut, the Kingsboro Garden Club, Christine and Peter Schoonmaker, and Jerriann Zinter.

Chef Lomanto’s Kitchen, Chick & Hen Baking Company, Harold’s Restaurant, Sam’s Seafood Steakhouse, and Union Hall Inn provided the delicious appetizers and desserts.  Special thanks to Harold’s for donating the stuffed mushrooms and to Megan Saltsman of Union Hall Inn for donating all of her services.

We’d like to thank everyone who helped us make the Celebration such a success…from the many donors for sponsorship, the silent auction, and the raffle baskets to all of the participants.  And we want to extend a big thanks to all of our many volunteers and also to the library staff for all of their efforts.

It was wonderful to see the community support for preserving our historic Carnegie library.  Thanks to you, it will continue to be the architectural treasure and center for life-long learning that it is. 

(submitted by the planning committee: Betsy Batchelor, Lynn Kicinski, and Ellen Wood)