TROY — The Troy-Miami County Public Library’s Festival of Trees fundraiser has been deemed a success by staff, raising more than $5,400 for youth programming.
The festival, which ran online from Nov. 16-23, paired local businesses with a tree to decorate. Individuals could bid on over 30 trees to brighten their homes for the holidays.
“We are so grateful for the support of our area businesses and organizations for providing beautiful trees to auction,” said Martha Harris, senior manager of community development at the library. “And we are blessed to have the community’s support though we had to change the event from an in-person to online format.”
The funds raised will be used to supplement children’s programming, which has pivoted from in-person gatherings to take-and-make activities in recent months serving more than 100 children each week with a different theme.
“We provide all supplies necessary to make the craft,” Harris said. “We can’t assume that every child has crayons or glue, so we make sure to include that. The kits can get expensive.”
Monies may also be used to support the purchase of maker-space items for the Pleasant Hill branch. A maker space was planned for 2020, but plans were derailed when the pandemic hit.
The fundraiser also sought to support local business owners and $10 gift certificates were purchased from multiple businesses for every person who bid on a tree. Local sponsors stepped up to include this unique feature.
“We recognize the ongoing need to support our local businesses so a portion of our sponsorship dollars was used to provide this incentive to bid on a tree,” Harris said.
Sponsors included Level MB, Baird Funeral Home, Applied Foundry Solutions, and Kettering Health Network.
Planning will begin later this year for the 2021 Festival of Trees. Those interested in supporting the upcoming fundraiser can contact Harris at (937) 339-05002, Ext. 115.
