SUCCESSFUL EVENT

Friends of the Wintermann Library fundraiser brings in $44K

The 45th Eagle Lake Friends of the Library Dinner and Auction raised $44, 222 last Saturday, Sept. 21.

The yearly auction is held to raise funds for the Eula and David Wintermann Library. Money was raised through a silent and live auction, where a wide variety of items donated by locals were sold off in an effort to fundraise for the library.

Vicki Powers, Library Director at the Eula and David Wintermann Library, says the library has to find ways such as this fundraiser to raise money for the library given that it is a non-profit. Powers says the Wintermann Foundation will go on to match the funds raised at the dinner dollar for dollar, to ensure the library stays operational every year.

“The Friends of the Library raise money for the library,” said Powers. “The library is a nonprofit organization and that is how we raise the money to run the library. The friends have the auction and the dinner, and then we get a very generous matching donation from the Wintermann Foundation. It is to raise money for the library to operate every year.”

Powers said a lot of new faces were all over the place this year during the dinner, but attendance was lower than last year’s due to uncontrollable circumstances. One of the biggest items auctioned off every year, a five-course, eight-to-ten-person meal sponsored by the Thomas family was not a part of the auction for the first time since the fundraiser started in 1980.

“There were more new faces than last year, some of our normal attendees were out of town,” said Powers. “Overall, the attendance was good. Last year we did better than what we did this year because the Thomas dinner, our biggest selling item, was no longer apart of the auction. The last time they were ever doing one for the library was last year, that was the last time they donated that and was why it sold for more than it ever has, because of certain circumstances beyond their control.”

The Thomas family were honored with a plaque at the most recent fundraiser for their dedication throughout the years since the beginning, and saw their prized item sell for more than $9,300 last year given it was their final time participating.

“They were one of the very first donors on the very first auction held in 1980,” said Powers. “They donated this dinner for eight people, a five-course gourmet meal, for 44 years. They have done it every year except the year that covid hit. It has almost been our biggest selling item every year. We just wanted to show them how much we appreciate them for the 44 years of continued support.”

This year’s biggest selling item was a similar donation, a steak dinner and fine wine meal for eight to 10 people, to be held at the Trent Kelley home, selling for $2,600. The item was donated by Lou Kelley and family and Amy Maxwell.

Powers says the library and Friends of the Library members are all just thankful for the support throughout the county, and emphasizes the hard work it took to pull of the fundraiser and auction.

“Well it means a lot,” said Powers. “I know we did have some people from Columbus there Saturday night. It kind of just unifies the county. We appreciate everybody’s support, the work of the Friends of the Library and the library board, their hard work in pulling this off. It all helps raise money for the library. We need to support each other and everyone has reasons to raise money, it takes a village. Stan Warfield, President of the Friends of the Library, Christine Owen, Chairman of the Ways and Means committee and, Kurt Sunderman Chairman of the library board all had huge roles to play in this. We could not have done it without them.