Judy Ross has been collecting donations for the Point Roberts Friends of the Library building fund at the Saturday Morning Market. For a $10 contribution, donors get one of her handmade quilted bookmarks. Photo by Meg Olson



The Friends of the Point Roberts Library (FOPRL) are encouraging community members to make donations right away to the new library building fund to take advantage of a $20,000 matching gift.

“Any new money the library fund receives during July and August will be matched up to $20,000,” said FOPRL member Judy Ross.

The FOPRL needs to raise $500,000 to turn Julius fire station into a new library. Since kicking off their fundraising campaign with $1,600 from the Point Roberts quilt group’s raffle in February, FOPRL has raised $28,000.

“If we can raise a couple of hundred thousand dollars then we can go to granting agencies,” Ross said. “They want to see the support locally first.”

Ross said people could support the new library project in a number of ways.

“There’s a level of giving for everyone,” she said.

The outdoor movie nights at Brewster’s are generating donations for the fund. Handmade quilted bookmarks are for sale at the Blue Heron Gallery, the library and the Saturday Morning Market, and all proceeds will go to the fund.

The FOPRL book sale at the Saturday market is currently giving money raised to the building fund. At the arts and music festival the FOPRL will be raffling off a new 32-inch flat-screen television donated to the building fund. All the funds raised from these sources, as well as any cash donations, will be matched until the end of August.

“We are all friends of the library,” Ross said. “If you love this library, if you love libraries in general, and even the very idea of libraries, this would be a good time to make a donation to the new Point Roberts public library.”

Cash donations can be made by writing a check to Whatcom County Library Foundation, P.R. Building Fund and mailing it to PRFOL, P.O. Box 970, Point Roberts WA 98281. Donation cards are also available at the library, and email inquiries can be sent to foprl1@gmail.com. Updates on the library funding progress can be found at PRFOL's page on the All Point Bulletin website.

Ross said future fundraising plans include a “Great Change Month” in September at Sterling Savings Bank. The bank has offered to accept coin donations on behalf of the building fund.

“We can all get rid of our jars of change and support the library,” Ross said.

Local musician Lucy Williams is organizing a jazz concert to raise funds and plans for another Fiberfest incorporating a library fundraiser are being developed.

 

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