New equipment at the Baldwin Public Library

The Baldwin Public Library will sport new equipment, thanks to local businesses that donated goods and services, which were raffled off during a recent four-month span.

Friends of the Baldwin Public Library hosted the raffle from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31, raising about $628 for the library, as 28 raffle winners split about $1,600 in prizes.

Friends is a nonprofit comprising a six-member board that provides financial assistance to the library and supports much of the library’s programs. Holding an annual raffle is one of the ways the group helps support the library’s programs and services.

Furnishing the raffle prizes were more than a dozen local businesses, including Panera Bread, OMMA Mixed Martial Arts, Red Tiger Jiu Jitsu RYU, Fit & Fearless, Top Golf, Urban Air Adventure Park, Baldwin Pizza, Royal Roti Shop, Dave & Buster’s, Applebee’s, Let’s Roam, Swiss Bliss, Pat’s Dance Studio, Red Lobster and Sunrise Liquor & Wine.

Some of the raffle prizes featured dinner cards from Applebee’s and Panera Bread, a $50 gift certificate from Top Golf and a Dave & Buster’s gift card for games, according to Keenya Phillip-Weekes, president of Friends.

“I’m really happy that we had so much support,” Phillip-Weekes said.

She explained that the mission of the fundraiser was to continue advocating for the library. The raffle was launched on National Library Week, Oct. 15-21, which is when Friends presented the library with a check for $2,500. The group collected the money through donors, past fundraisers and membership dues from the organization.

“I think it’s wonderful that so many people in the community have a deep enough interest in the library that they decided to purchase raffles and have participated in other Friends’ fundraisers,” Elizabeth Olesh, the library’s director, said.

Some of the money has been used to supply the library with a telescope, pickleball set, VHS-to-digital converter, and more, and the items are part of the Baldwin library’s Library of Things collection.

This marked the second year that the raffle took place, Phillip-Weekes said, adding that last year’s fundraiser only involved a 50/50 raffle and only 20 participants took part. This year was more successful in giving back to the community, she added.

“With people continuing to renew their membership and donating to the Friends’ nonprofit, we were able to provide a really big gift to the library,” Phillip-Weekes said. “And we just collaborated with the library to make sure we supplied them with things that they needed, and we decided to help fund the Library of Things collection.”

She stressed that whatever Friends raises goes towards the library, noting that the goal of the group is to “help in whatever way” it can by supporting enriching services in the library.

“The mission of the Friends is to support the Library through fundraising, awareness, and advocacy,” according to BaldwinPL.org/friends. “We help enrich Library services by raising funds for special projects and activities, such as author visits, enhanced spaces, and new technologies.”

Olesh said the library had been functioning without a Friends group for a long time. “The establishment of the group is significant because a Friends group can solicit monetary donations, which the library cannot, and can advocate for us in the community as well as at the local, state and national levels.”

One of the biggest fundraisers the group has hosted was a shoe drive in November of 2022, working alongside the organization Funds2Org. As a result of the shoes that were donated — about 1,375 pairs — the library received a financial donation.

“We got recognition from local legislators for our efforts from this drive,” Phillip-Weekes said.

Friends of the Baldwin Public Library meets quarterly, and the next meeting is scheduled for April 11 at 8 p.m. via zoom. To find out more about supporting the group’s efforts to raise more money for the library, visit BaldwinPL.org/friends.