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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On April 27, the basement of the American Legion was bustling with activity. The sounds of a live band reverberated through the walls, while the vague chatter of people having a great time were just about audible above the drums. Inside, all of this merriment was due to the second annual Beers For Books fundraiser. From 5:30 to 11 p.m., members of the Dover community were welcomed to hang out, grab a beer and some food, and simply enjoy themselves.
“The code name originally was the ‘Un-gala,’” president of the Friends of the Dover Library Erin Rodat-Salva joked. “We thought, what does everybody want? What’s the easiest and most low-key thing we can execute? Easy for us to execute and easy for people to attend.”
The suggested donation was $10, which was quite a bargain considering the incredibly spread of food available, as well as the general company and atmosphere.
“About two years ago, we were looking for ways to engage all of the residents and families who’ve been moving into Dover. Particularly because so many of them would quickly tell you how much they love the library, and kids programming like Super Awesome Fun Time,” Rodat-Salva elaborated. “We wanted to create an enticing, super-easy way for anyone in town to get together, show their love of the library, and let newer residents know how the library depends on contributions from the community.”
Last year, the event raised around $2,500, but the focus for the Friends was really beyond money. “The truth is we’ve said both years that first and foremost, this was a ‘friend raiser,’ so if we just reinforced our love of the library as a fabulous resource for multiple generations in town, we had done our job,” she explained.
In addition to gaining friends, they raised $3,000.
Co-chairs Kim Hall and Kelly Sidgwick did a fantastic job pulling the event together, and while it might have been the easiest event, it was certainly festive. In addition to the food and drink, there were a number of raffle prizes, including a pear tree – a unique raffle prize indeed. “We’re doing a big push for people who are here to join and become a Friend,” Hall explained. “Their gift is three hours of babysitting, a $100 gift card to RFK, six bottles of wine, and $50 gift certificate to the Needham Bowling Alley, so that is a separate incentive.”
“Without that library, this would be a very different town. I think it makes a big difference for those of us who live here,” Rodat-Salva said. While the library does have a generous budget from the town, all of the money for fundraising comes from the Friends. “The more that we’re able to raise, the more innovative they’re ready to be, and they’re such an amazing team.”
To finish, Rodat-Salva made a call to arms. “We need more volunteers! We’re always looking for more Friends. We’re looking to expand and do things like a town-wide read, and other kinds of programming that might appeal to other demographics and other groups in town. We just need more manpower to get it done.”
