BERNARDSTON — Looking to raise enough money to replace an oil tank before the end of fall, Cushman Library is organizing two fundraising events: an old-time radio show and a 24-hour read-athon.
Both events are creative new ideas for library staff, according to Cushman Library’s Director Karen Stinchfield. The 12-member board of trustees decided to pursue a fund drive back in March, with a goal of $5,000.
“It’s not a huge amount of money, but it’s not a sexy project,” Stinchfield said. The current 1,000-gallon in-ground tank will be replaced by a tall, 250-gallon indoor tank that better suits the needs of the library.
“Knowing that it’s retired and we have a new one will just give us peace of mind,” Stinchfield added, though she doesn’t recall when the current tank was installed. Old buried fuel tanks are generally cosidered a liability today because of the possibility of their leaking.
The first event, the radio show, will be held Thursday at the library starting at 7 p.m. It is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes.
Library patron Sandra Haynes coined the idea, and her husband, Barry Deitz, will act as emcee.
“People can talk about what the library means to them, what reading means to them,” Stinchfield explained.
Staff members, trustees and library patrons are all invited to participate. Some will share poems, others will sing and some will read short stories.
“We’re going to put together a box of things that can be used for sound effects,” Stinchfield said.
“We just know (the radio show) is going to (have) this groovy mix of stuff,” she continued. “It’ll be a great assortment of people.”
While admission isn’t charged, Stinchfield plans on passing around a donation bucket. And, while the event is called a radio show, the recordings will not be put on the radio. Instead, the event will be recorded and later broadcast by BNCTV.
In addition, Mark and Linda Snow, owners of the Four Leaf Clover Restaurant, have volunteered to donate 10 percent of all breakfast, lunch and dinner sales on Thursday to the library.
A second event, a 24-hour read-athon, will be held at the library July 16, starting at 3:30 p.m., and run through July 17.
Participants will get pledges from donors who can contribute a flat sum, by pages read or by time spent reading. Participants can take part for as many hours as they would like, and can spend the night in the library or camping in Cushman Park.
Stinchfield said that because library staff have been working to spread the word about their fundraising efforts, donors have already contributed almost $1,400. To reach Stinchfield’s goal then, the two fundraisers need to bring in another $3,600.