To the editor:
As many already know, we are plan
ning an addition to the Dorr Township Library to house our collection of historical material. The Dorr Township Board tentatively has approved this plan if enough funds can be raised to accomplish this task.
We have had some very generous donations from some of our members so far, but we have a long way to go. Dorr Township Library Director Natalie Bazan has applied for several grants to help our cause.
She has also signed up for the Arts Alive competition sponsored by the Allegan County Community Foundation. This is an annual affair where the foundation selects deserving non-profit organizations to participate in a voting competition.
Natalie wrote, in her letter to us, “I have had several questions about the funds collected through the 2015 Keep Your ArtsAlive Campaign that began July 1st and ends September 8th. All of the funds collected will be used for the Then & Now building fund. Even if we do not collect enough to complete the entire addition for Then & Now on the southwest side of the library, the funds will go to Then & Now for the addition, not to the library.
“We are thrilled to have the chance to partner with you to provide the community with a brand new space to accommodate the amazing work you do for the community, county and anyone who is interested in their own or our community’s history. As a former history major, I believe that we do have a responsibility to preserve our past and share it with our future. Sharing history makes it real and helps people feel connected to events, people and places of the past.”
The public is invited to vote for their favorite non-profit organization. Each vote costs a dollar. You can vote for as many organizations as you like, for as much as you like, as often as you like. The voting is open from July 1 to Sept. 8.
At the end of the competition, the top five non-profits will get a bonus. Last year it was $6,000.
Regardless of who wins, each organization will receive money for the votes cast for them, so it’s a win-win for all.
Since the selected non-profits do not include Then and Now specifically, please cast your vote for the Dorr Township Library. We are assured that all funds collected will go to the building effort.
You will find voting ballots at Then and Now Gen. Library, Dorr Township Library, Hopkins District Library, and Dick’s Food Market or you can go online to ArtsAlive! Allegan County Competition :: Keep your Arts Alive by Voting for Your Most Valued Arts & Cultural Organization.
I encourage you to vote for your favorite organization and I hope that that organization is us.
Warm regards, Linda Stoepker, Then and Now
