Friends of the Parrott-Wood Memorial Library Announce Spring Event: Books, BBQ and Bluegrass

What do books, barbeque and bluegrass all have in common?

Please come to the Friends of the Parrott-Wood Memorial Library’s (PWML) spring event – Books, BBQ and Bluegrass – on Friday, April 13, at Rush Strong School, 3081 West Old A.J. Highway, Strawberry Plains, beginning at 5:30p to find out.

The fundraising event will start serving up the barbeque beginning at 5:30pm with the benefit concert by Lost Creek Band beginning at 7pm. The Lost Creek Band is a nationally recognized, award winning bluegrass group who will be gracing us with beautiful music. The presale ticket cost for the event is $10 per person ($5 for children under the age of 10). Tickets are available by calling (865)933-1311 or through Eventbrite by visiting the Friends of the PWML website: https//facebook.com/FOPWML/.

A limited number of tickets will be available at the door and the cost of all tickets after April 6 will be $12. PWML is especially grateful to Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial for partnering with the Friends of the PWML by matching the group’s donations from the event up to $1500.

Visitors to the event will be able to experience much more than just good bluegrass and food. They will be able to learn more about PWML and other community organizations. Children will especially enjoy the reading corner, where they will have an opportunity to Read to Remington, the library’s Ruff Reading dog and H.A.B.I.T. (Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee) volunteer. There also will be fun crafts and other activities for children throughout the event. A live auction will take place prior to the benefit concert and door prizes will be awarded after the benefit concert.

The fundraiser will benefit the many programs planned for the Strawberry Plains library throughout 2018. Donna Phillips, PWML director, said the fundraising efforts by the Friends of the PWML were crucial to the hometown library. “The group offers us a lot of support with our programs,” Phillips explained. “Besides providing monetary support and grant matches, the Friends group helps with snacks and drinks and volunteering with events. With their care and support, we are better able to serve the community and ensure we have the best programs around.”

Friends of the Parrott-Wood Memorial Library A non-profit organization established to support the efforts of the Parrott-Wood Memorial Library Good programs are key to PWML and Phillips really works to research and procure the best grants to enhance her library’s educational programming. She is especially proud of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs planned for this coming summer. The library’s STEM programs will feature programs for all ages such as making 3-D science models and crafts, exploring forensics, hands-on computer classes and much more science-oriented fun. Phillips also said one of her favorite programs this past year was the library’s Solar Eclipse Party and she could not have provided the free eclipse-viewing glasses without aid from the Friends of the PWML group. Elizabeth Finchum, secretary for the Friends of the PWML, agrees that the fundraising support by the Friends group is crucial for helping the Strawberry Plains hometown library thrive. She describes PWML as “a gathering place for children and adults from across our community. It is a place where everyone can come and learn with the opportunity to utilize the internet and have access to many written resources.” She explains that many people in the community do not have access to the internet or simply cannot afford it. Finchum emphasized that the library’s recent growth has really helped draw in more people from the area. “I’ve seen the utilization of the library increase as there have been so many new programs and events, and many folks just want to come see the library, which was remodeled and has doubled in size recently,” she shared. Finchum and Phillips both added that they hoped to see a lot of the community come out and support the family friendly Books, BBQ and Bluegrass spring event.

As Finchum explained, “People from varies places are dropping by and many people who haven’t been to the library since they were children are coming home to Strawberry Plains to experience the library.” As Phillips proudly concluded, “Our library is truly the heart of the community and that’s why I am grateful to be such a part of its programs and planning.”