It was a sunny, barely breezy day, and that seemed to bring the people out in droves for the Delta Community Library’s annual fundraiser. The event included the ever-popular basket auction with 112 baskets and gift certificates, a cornhole tournament, a raffle with 54 items, live music outdoors, homemade cookies provided by Whitestone Farms, and hot dogs, sodas, and chips for sale by donation.
“We’re going to estimate that there were about 700 people here,” said Library Director Tiki Levinson. “It was an astounding day, I must say. The wind was supposed to come up, and it didn’t, and we were so blessed.”
The turnout was a much larger number than previous years. Levinson thought maybe the weather, coupled with the expanded outdoor options such as the cornhole tournament and cookout, may have contributed to more people coming to the event.
“We don’t have a final amount that we took in yet, but I can say it is right around $10,000. It’s down from last year, but not a lot,” Levinson reported.
“Everything was just so nice,” she continued. “This was the second year we had the cornhole tournament. The folks participating in that had a fantastic time!”
“My favorite part is seeing the creativity of the people who donate baskets,” noted Library Board President Diane Ruse, who had the helm for the first time this year.
The highest single bid at $750 was placed on the quilt made by Forget-Me-Knot Quilters Guild and donated to the library. “That quilt generated lots and lots of conversation,” said Levinson.
The event could not happen without many volunteer hours, Levinson and Ruse both stressed. Library Association board members who helped are President Ruse, Vice President Lana Knight, Secretary Sandy Dighton, Treasurer Rose Winters, Oshea Greenleaf, Carol Dufendach, and Bill Johnson. Volunteers Linda Sloan helped as the hostess, Dawn Frazier donated lots of time, Anne Giese, and Debbie Davis helped keep things running smoothly. Chris McCarrick was the grill master, and Mike Kingston helped with sound.
The Scouts helped with kids games, and the youth group from First Baptist Church helped with clean up and putting everything away.
“Thanks for all the people who donated and gave their time,” Ruse concluded.
The funds raised will go toward the summer reading program and new materials to be purchased for the library. Levinson noted the library is also hoping to get a children’s bookshelf.
Additionally, the library board started an investment fund. From previous fundraisers, we have $10,000 in there, Levinson explained. Some funds from the basket auction will be used to fund that account.
“Overall, I guess we’re starting the beginnings of having a building fund for expansion of the library. This is just a step down that path,” said Levinson. “It’s a big path – it’s like a superhighway – and we’re just starting a walk on the path. It’s a dream.”
In 2005 when the library was originally opened, it was built with impact funds from Fort Greely Missile Defense. They knew there needed to be more room, but there wasn’t money to make the library larger at that time, she said.
“So the east side of the building was constructed with the thought that someday we would be adding on,” Levinson explained.
One of the most important things is to have a conference room for meetings, she stressed. Children’s programs are lots of noise that carries to the rest of the library, so having a separate space for them would be beneficial as well.
