Thursday, October 4, 2018

Address Change

The Friends of the Holyoke Public Library for many years used a Post Office Box address on all our mailings and membership forms.  Effective September 30, 2018, we have cancelled our lease of that box, which was rarely used in the past 12 months. The Post Office will forward our mail to us at this permanent address:

Friends of the Holyoke Public Library
250 Chestnut Street
Holyoke, MA 01040


Please update your address books.  Thank you.

If YOUR address has changed recently, please notify us, or better yet, notify the Library directly.

The addresses of Friends members, in past years, were listed on a spreadsheet maintained by a Friends volunteer (usually our Membership Chair, or Treasurer) and also listed in the donor database maintained by staff in the Holyoke Public Library Development Office. Keeping these two separate mailing lists up-to-date has been challenging at times, and extra work. We have now simplified the process. There is only ONE database now, not two. Friends members have all been identified as such in the HPL donor database, so we no longer need to maintain separate records.

Thus, please notify Nancy Kocsmiersky, nancy@holyokelibrary.org, or at 413-420-8109, whenever you need to update your contact information.

The Friends organization is in transition to becoming a committee within the Holyoke Public Library's governing structure. Our formal organization as a nonprofit corporation will be dissolved.  We no longer ask for membership dues or contributions. We encourage donations directly to the Holyoke Public Library, Attention: Nancy Kocsmiersky, 250 Chestnut St, Holyoke 01040.

THANK YOU for being a FRIEND of the Library.




Sunday, July 1, 2018

Please Save This Date


4th Annual 
Mini Golf in the Library! ¡Minigolf en la Biblioteca!
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Family-friendly play during the daytime
followed by
an evening Cocktail Party with Mini Golf for 21+


Monday, April 9, 2018

Such FUN! Library Mini Golf and "Lucky Ticket" auction

The 3rd Annual "Mini Golf in the Library! ¡Minigolf en la Biblioteca!" fundraiser was indeed a FUN raiser, as you can see from these photos. Over 230 people played mini golf in the Holyoke Public Library on Saturday, in addition to the Friday night party-goers. We thank Rick and Russ Bolton of Library Mini Golf LLC for designing, providing, and supervising the 18-hole mini golf course. We thank our Event Sponsors and Hole Sponsors, especially those who added creative obstacles and decorations. We also appreciate the donors of auction items and services, such as Mask Makers Face Painting, and Brennan's Place. We thank all who came to play.







 



Saturday, March 31, 2018

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Mini Golf in the Library! 2018

Plans are rolling forward for the Third Annual "Mini Golf in the Library! ¡Minigolf en la Biblioteca!" fundraiser at the Holyoke Public Library. This year, the LIBRARY is the official host, with Friends of the Library volunteers helping run three (3) events. Proceeds from sponsorships (Hole Sponsors, Event Sponsors), ticket and auction sales will go directly to the Library to enhance programming and services for children and young adults.  

We thank our SPONSORS (see below) for supporting the Library!
To become a sponsor or donor, please contact Sandy Ward, Mini Golf Chair, or Nancy Kocsmiersky, HPL Development Office (413-420-8109), or send email to friendsofthehpl@gmail.comThank you!   
Visit www.holyokelibrary.org/aboutfriendsgolf.asp for more information.


Friday, April 6, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, $20
“Swing into Spring” Cocktail Party / Mini Golf 21+

Food by Brennan’s Place of Holyoke, Cash Bar, Lucky Ticket auction
and as much Mini Golf as you wish.

Saturday, April 7, Mini Golf for all ages
9:30 am - 3:30 pm 

Under 5, Free   Ages 5-12, $3   Adults, $5  (No registration required)
Come play 18 holes INSIDE the Library! 

NEW   TEAM Tournament, Sat. April 7, 9:00 am
Teams of 4, competing for Prizes and bragging rights
Pre-register via EventBrite or send check ($80/team) to HPL Development Office.
___________________________

SPONSORS for 2018: 

We are pleased to report that Sponsorship checks began to arrive 2/8/18. Some of last year's sponsors made commitments last spring to return for 2018. Conklin Office Furniture agreed to return as Sponsor of the 18th Hole, which will again be inside the Teen Room.

Racing Mart Fuels (330 Main Street), an Event Sponsor last year, will be a Hole Sponsor this year. We thank them for being the 1st in 2018 to submit a sponsorship check.

Ross Insurance Agency is our first Event Sponsor of 2018. We thank Maureen Ross O'Connell for being such a loyal friend of the library, supporting this event every year.

We also thank Aaron Vega, State Representative for the 5th Hampden District, for three years of support. He will be a Hole Sponsor again in 2018.

We welcome Valley Opportunity Council as a new Hole Sponsor this year.

Marcotte Ford, one of last year's Event Sponsors, has chosen to be a Hole Sponsor this year. We thank them and look forward to seeing what they may add to the course.

Mount Holyoke College returns as an Event Sponsor, again helping to underwrite this wonderful community event.

Holyoke Gas & Electric is an Event Sponsor at the GOLD Level for the third year in a row.

Open Square is sponsoring the 16th hole (the same one they sponsored last year). The tee will be on Level 1, at the top of the broad stairway leading down to their Hole on the Ground level (in Library lobby). This part of the course is especially popular with kids, who receive a prize if making a hole-in-one.

On Monday 3/12/18 we received checks from two NEW Event Sponsors: Easthampton Savings Bank Foundation, associated with bankESB, which will be opening its first Holyoke branch this fall, and PeoplesBank, which has had a long history in Holyoke and has contributed significantly to other Holyoke Public Library fundraising campaigns over the years.

Too Sketchy Dudes Comics will sponsor a Hole. We thank Chuck Gardner, who has been a well-dressed dude on our mini golf course in years past.

CareerPoint will again be an Event Sponsor at the Silver Level.

Homewood Suites by Hilton has helped us for 3 years in a row, not only as a Hole Sponsor, but also by providing Friday evening lodging for Mr. Bolton, owner of Library Mini Golf LLC, who bring us the equipment that makes our Mini Golf fundraiser possible.

We welcome Climate Action Now Western Massachusetts as a new Hole Sponsor, and look forward to seeing the creative "obstacles" that their team is constructing for their segment of the course.

We are pleased that Mass. Surgical Supply will return as a Hole Sponsor; last year one of their props, a crutch lying on the carpet, proved to be a challenging obstacle for our Mini Golf Chair, trapping her ball for a while!

La Rosa Funeral Home joins us as a Hole Sponsor this year. Welcome!

Witman Properties returns again as a sponsor for 2018.

WayFinders (formerly HAPHousing) will be a Hole Sponsor. As we did last year, we'll assign them  a space by windows with a view toward Chestnut and Essex Streets, where WayFinders will be developing future housing (by rehabilitating old buildings and building new) with their "Library Commons" project.

We welcome the Holyoke Mall as a NEW sponsor this year, and thank them for being an Event Sponsor at the Bronze Level.

We also welcome Brad Matthew Jewelers as an Event Sponsor at the Bronze Level.

Aaron's Store, a loyal supporter of this library fundraiser, sponsored Premium Holes in 2016 and 2017, and now returns as an Event Sponsor for 2018.  We are glad to have the continued support.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Comics! Comic artists! Coming Saturday Feb 17, 1-3


Come to a panel featuring Holyoke artist Hector Rodriguez
and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles illustrator Jim Lawson
and illustrator/colorist Michael Kelleher. 



Friends board member Terrence Smith, who is also works mentoring youth, has organized this  special program. Friends Treasurer Scott Meyer helped design the flyer, and Friends member Koco Givner assisted with planning.  We hope many youth will attend. All ages welcome, of course.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Holyoke Public Library. 
Light refreshments will be served.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Thanking Donors of Auction items and services

The 2017 Silent Auction during the Swing into Spring Cocktail Party / Mini Golf 21+ helped raise funds for the Friends of the Library. We thank these donors for contributing auction items and services for that April 2017 event:


Action Marine
Amherst Cinema
Capri Pizza
CARVE Beauty Bar
CHH Engraving
Children's Museum
Conklin Office Furniture 
Greg Saulmon
Hair Hunterz
Highland Hardware
Holyoke Hummus Company
Holyoke Sporting Goods Co
Homewood Suites by Hilton
Jay's Bed & Breakfast
Mayor's Office, City Hall
Nick's Nest
Rusty's Place
Sandy Ward
Serene Salon & Spa
Sherwin-Williams
Silk Deli & Bistro
Smithsonian Chowder House
Sue Ellen Panitch
Waterfront
YMCA

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Happy New Year! Mini Golf will come again...

Happy New Year!  Please save these 2018 dates for the THIRD Annual "Mini Golf in the Library! ¡Minigolf en la Biblioteca!" Fundraiser:
  • Friday April 6, 6:30-9:30pm - Cocktail Party and Mini Golf for 21+
  • Saturday April 7, daytime* - Mini Golf for all ages!
It is a significant FUN raiser, as well as fundraiser, for the Holyoke Public Library. 

We hope you'll come, and bring your friends. Don't miss the fun!

* We're adding some new features for Saturday, and will announce those, and the timing, soon. Stay tuned. 

For information about very special event, visit this page on the Library's website: