Fundraising Ideas from Everywhere

This is at the top of my gmail today: "You can make a lovely hat out of previously-used aluminum foil." But, will it help raise funds for the new library? Maybe, if we make them, every one of our 1300 permanent residents would be interested in buying and wearing "a lovely hat [made] out of previously-used aluminum foil." Of course I'd then have to collect all that used aluminum foil to make the hats. Somedays, the internet just wears me out....

We're on Their Wave Length!

Got an email yesterday from Congresswoman Suzann Delbene's liaison person that he will be coming up to Point Roberts next month and would like to see our current library and our proposed new library, as well as be briefed on the status of our fundraising campaign.  All good news!

We wrote to Ms. Delbene last January and a staff person kindly replied to us on her behalf, indicating she would be happy to help us in such ways as she might.  One of the things that particularly interests me in having her support is that she is on the Agriculture Committee in the Congress and the Agriculture Committee has programs to support rural libraries.  Back when we had a stimulus (before our library project was underway) there was quite a lot of money available for rural library capital projects.  There may still be some such money around under different programs and it is good to have one's congressperson on your side.

State Senator Doug Erickson has also indicated his willingness to look into state funding, but we have yet to hear back from our state legislators, Vincent Buys and Jason Overstreet.  Gosh, what ever happened to constituent service?  When I worked in the U.S. Congress as a liaison back in the late 60's, a typed letter (they were all hand-typed then) from a constituent practically got a telegram response.

Quilts for the Library

On March 16, we will be holding the second (perhaps annual) Point Roberts Fiber Arts Festival at the Community Center, 10-4.  There will be a quilt exhibit, hands-on workshops in felting, peace flag making (flags to be mounted on the big wall of the Julius Firehall this spring), knitting, etc.; demonstrations of rug hooking, tiny bookmaking, woven treasure bags.  And a talk on the abandoned house quilts as well as one on a rug hooking collection.  And vendors.  It will be a nice day with lots of things to do and wonders to look at.

And there will be a raffle for three stunning quilts made by the members of the Point Roberts Quilt Group.  And below are pictures of those quilts:

The three quilts are all different sizes: the top one, with the houses ("There Goes the Neighborhood) is made by all the members of the P.R. quilters and is a wall quilt; the middle one, ("Library Log Cabin") made by Maxine Clark, is a double-bed-sized quilt, and the bottom one ("Kaleidoscope") pieced and hand-quilted by June Christie, is a lap quilt/baby quilt.

The drawings for the quilt winners will be at the end of the day on March 16 and, of course, you don't need to be there to win.  But...you need to buy a ticket to win.  Tickets will be on sale at the Fiber Arts Festival ($2 each or 3/$5) and also tomorrow, Wednesday March 6) at the Community Center from noon till 2 pm.  We were at the International Market last Sunday and will try to be there Saturday or Sunday of this coming week, depending upon the weather: can't take the quilts out in the rain, of course.

The great bulk of the proceeds from this event will go to the New Library Building Fund.  These include all the proceeds from the quilt raffle, the 'New to You' table, and the donated fiber arts goods: quilts, knitwear, and various other fiber articles donated by artists from this community.  Join us for a fun day.  And if you can't make it, please buy a raffle ticket ahead of time.

Judy Ross, for the Friends of the Point Roberts Library