2011 basket winner

Save the Date for the 6th Annual Celebration

Sunday, September 23rd from 12-2:30 pm
This year's event will be held at the Library

Come see all of the wonderful progress thanks to the funds raised by this event over the years.

Celebrating What You Love About Fulton County - 2011

Fifth Annual Celebration Brunch is the Most Successful Yet!

The Friends’ 5^th annual gala brunch and silent auction took place Sunday, September 25 at Pine Brook Golf Club.  One hundred people attended “Celebrating What You Love in Fulton County,” which raised nearly $28,000, our most successful event yet!

The silent auction tables were filled with donations from nineteen area artists and businesses, and attracted a great deal of bidding interest.  The auction array included paintings, photographs, woodworking, a painted leather wine caddy, quilts, felted bags, jewelry, a spa indulgence, a body massage, and a dinner for six.  Proceeds from the silent auction portion of the Celebration totaled nearly $2,600.

During the brunch, emcee Ginni Mazur drew the names of twenty-three 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 early August.Raffle ticket sales totaled nearly $3400.

Committee members for the event included: Celebration Planning Committee - Betsy Batchelor, Lynn Kicinski and Ellen Wood; Art Display – Betsy Batchelor and Ann Lee Clough; Basket Coordinators – Nancy Krawczeski and Barbara Reppenhagen; Basket Wrapping -Barbara Tucci, assisted by Linda Callahan, Donna Kuhner and  Barbara Madonna; Basket Display at Pine Brook – Cookie and Don Fleischut; Basket Labels and Auction Signs – Linda Callahan; Brunch Committee - Susan Ringland and Linda Callahan; Brunch Photographer – Jerriann Zinter.  Other volunteers at the brunch included Bobbi Trudel, Anita Moore, Mary Jane Fredericks, Arlene Comstock, Jay Ephraim, Nan Ferguson, Chris Pesses, John Mazur, Erin Wheeler, and Nicole Bullock.  Linens were donated by Robison and Smith.  Posters, invitations and program cover design were donated by Linda Hinkle of Linda Hinkle Graphic Design. Website, blog and Flickr were maintained by Bonnie Howard and Barbara Madonna.

The delicious brunch was prepared by Tim & Lori White of the Railyard.  The beautiful cake and pastries were created by Megan Saltsmann of the Union Hall Inn.  Everyone in attendance received uniquely designed thank-you cards that were all hand-made by Linda Callahan.  Be sure to check out the photos from the brunch on our website. 

The Friends have directed the proceeds from the event toward a significant upgrade of furnishings in the children’s and adult reading rooms.  We invite everyone to please take notice on their next visit to the Library of some of the newly arrived pieces.  The Children’s Room has new computer tables that are an appropriate height for our smallest users, and there are tables that look like the segments of a caterpillar.  All of these were designed by local artist, Susy Easterly.  More new furnishings are arriving each week, and will include comfortable armchairs for the Reading Room.

We can’t thank everyone enough for their generous donations and support of this event!  It is such a pleasure for us to see everyone helping to make this event such a huge success and enjoying the day so much, and then to return to the Library and see the patrons able to enjoy the new furnishings.  It’s like the gift that keeps on giving!

Celebration Planning Committee

Betsy Batchelor, Lynn Kicinski, & Ellen Wood

Celebrating Fun in Fulton County - 2010

The Friends of the Gloversville Public Library raised more than $23,000 at its fourth annual brunch and silent art auction.  The event was held on Sunday, September 26 at Pine Brook Golf Club, with 120 people attending.  As part of the Friends’ continuing commitment to the renovation of the historic Carnegie Library, the proceeds will be designated for the cleaning and restoration of the building’s façade with a portion reserved by the Friends for general support of the Library.

The theme of this year’s event was “Celebrating Fun in Fulton County.”  Friends President Ginni Mazur opened the event by welcoming the guests and noting that it was “evident that this year’s theme is Celebrating Fun in Fulton County. We are part of a sell-out crowd, at a beautiful location, about to eat a delicious brunch, surrounded by wonderful items that some will soon own, and visiting with friendly people.  This is fun!”

The highlights of the event were a silent auction of art and special offerings and a basket raffle drawing. Everyone in attendance received a calendar which included photographs of a stuffed bear having “Fun in Fulton County.” The brunch was catered by the Railyard, and the desserts were provided by the Union Hall Inn.

More than 20 area artists, jewelry makers, woodworkers, restaurants, and businesses donated items for the silent auction. Many of the donations incorporated the event’s theme in their work.  The auction items had been displayed in the windows of the Mohawk Harvest Co-operative Market for the month of September.

Barbara Madonna, Director of the Library, served as master of ceremonies. Commenting on the large turnout, Madonna said, “I am thrilled that the Library has such supportive and generous benefactors in our area who understand the necessity of providing public library services to our community.  Our historic Carnegie library serves both as a location to provide those services and as an architectural gem which needs to be preserved.  Thankfully the Friends and their supporters are committed to the Library’s mission and its unique building.”

During the brunch, Madonna drew the names of twenty-eight basket raffle winners.   The baskets were donated by members of the Friends and the community, and had been displayed at the library since mid-August.

Committees for the event included:  Art Display - Betsy Batchelor & Ann Lee Clough; Basket Coordinators - Nancy Krawczeski & Barbara Reppenhagen; Basket Display - Cookie Fleischut; Basket Labels & Auction Signs - Linda Callahan; Basket Wrapping - Barbara Tucci; Brunch Decorations - Conniejo Dicruttalo; Brunch Photographer - Ron Bradt; Sponsorship – Ellen Wood & John Mazur; Website - Christine Prokopiak; and Celebration Planning Committee - Betsy Batchelor, Sue Bradt, and Lynn Kicinski.

Linda Hinkle, of Linda Hinkle Graphic Designs, donated the poster, invitation and program cover. Scott Morrison of Printline Graphic Design designed and produced the calendars.  Photography for the calendars was donated by Ron Bradt, Teresia Davis, Jay Ephraim, Michael Hine, Judy Olson, and Kathryn Zajicek.  The Kingsboro Garden Club donated the flowers for the centerpieces and the linens were donated by Robison & Smith.

Celebrating Gloversville and Its Library - 2009

The third annual Celebration brunch and silent auction was held on Sunday, September 27, 2009, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m at Pine Brook Golf Club.

The goal of $20,000 toward our continuing support of the Library’s lobby restoration project was met and the funds will be used to buy new lighting for the lobby, balcony, and circulation desk areas.

Celebrating the Talents of Fulton County - 2008

The Friends of the Gloversville Public Library raised more than $21,000 at its second annual gala brunch and silent auction held Sunday, September 28 at the Pine Brook Golf Club with more than 120 people in attendance.

Funds were used to assist with the renovation of the lobby which included cleaning, plastering and repainting the lobby, balcony area and stairs leading to the basement.

[It was] “appropriate for the focus of this event to be Celebrating the Talents of Fulton County. It can be easy to lose sight of the great things that surround us. It is very obvious that Fulton County is a talented area, as we look around us here and see not only the expertise of local artists, but also their generosity in donating their works, all for the support of the wonderful library in our community,” according to Ginni Mazur, President of the Friends.

Celebrating the Four Seasons in Fulton County - 2007

The first annual Friends' Celebration was held on Sunday, September 28 at Pine Brook Golf Course. Nineteen talented artists, 24 gorgeous baskets and many geneous supporters raised over $17,000 to support the Library's programs and services.

Thank you to everyone for their support of this event over the years!
President Ginni Mazur and the Celebration Planning Committee

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