FRIENDS OF GREENBURGH LIBRARY FUNDRAISER

The Greenburgh Public Library Foundation announces the launch of its annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Greenburgh Public Library which will take place from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Monday, April 12, 2010. The event will be held at the Greenburgh Public Library located at 300 Tarrytown Road, Elmsford, NY. In order to accommodate the fund raising event, the Library will close to the public at 3:00pm on Monday, April 12, the day of the event.



The inaugural fundraiser has been designated Books and Cooks and is billed as a “Literary Feast” where “fine cuisine and literature come together”. The Books and Cooks event will bring together many local restaurants and their chefs with several of Westchester County’s most notable authors. Attendees will be treated to a tour of the newly opened Greenburgh Public Library as they sample a variety of food and meet local authors. Tickets are now on-sale for $99.00 per person and may be purchased through the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation on their website at www.greenburghlibraryfoundation.org or by calling 914-747-0519. Ticket expenditures for the Books and Cooks event are tax deductable.



Books and Cooks is a completely unique event. Chefs from the participating restaurants will be creating dishes inspired by works of literature. For example, the novel Chocolat, by Joanne Harris, might inspire a chocolate fondue, while Under the Tuscan Sun, by Francis Mayes, could prompt a white bean and pasta dish. Participating restaurants will be setting up food stations throughout the Library so that attendees can tour the facility as they move from food station to food station. Participating authors will also be located throughout the Library and will be discussing their published works and will also be signing copies of their books. Village Books, located in Pleasantville, NY, will be facilitating the sale of the author’s books and a portion of the proceeds from each sale will go to the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation. The Books and Cooks event is a great way to get to know the Greenburgh Public Library, enjoy some of the best food in Westchester County, meet some of the County’s finest literary talent and to help raise much needed funding.



The Books and Cooks event has confirmed eleven local restaurants to date, each of whom will be providing a unique culinary experience. Restaurants confirmed include, 42 at the Ritz Carlton (American), Caravela (Brazilian & Portuguese), Dragonfly Café (Coffee & Tea), Gervasi’s (Italian), Great American BBQ (American), Milonga Wine & Tapas (Argentinean & Italian), Morton’s Steakhouse (American), Mughal Palace (South Indian), Rioja (Mediterranean), River City Grill (Eclectic) and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (American). Additional confirmed restaurants are anticipated.



In addition to the confirmed restaurants, a growing list of local authors has also been confirmed for the event and include best-selling author Benjamin Cheever who’s novels include The Plagiarist, The Partisan, Famous After Death and The Good Nanny, Herbert Hadad, author of several highly acclaimed essays on the Middle-East as well as his memoir, Finding Immortality: The Making of One American Family. Rev. Bente Hansen, author of The New World of Self-Healing and Messages From Beyond and Marilyn Johnson, author of This Book is Overdue! and The Dead Beat are also participating. Rounding out the list of confirmed authors are Simon Schama, who has written many works on history and art which include The Embarrassment of Riches, Landscape and Memory, Dead Certainties, Rembrandt’s Eyes and Citizens, and Joseph Wallace whose works include non-fiction books about dinosaurs, baseball and many other topics, as well as the soon-to-be-published novel, Diamond Ruby. Additional authors are anticipated to join the event.



The Books and Cooks event does not feature a formal program, but instead will serve to educate those attending about the Library and its programs and services through carefully designed materials and displays, in addition to the great food and literary conversation on offer. There will be live music and a Books and Cooks silent auction will be held to compliment the event. The silent auction is expected to include gift certificates for dinners at participating restaurants, baskets of books, travel packages with literary themes and many other exciting items.



“We are excited about Books and Cooks, our first annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Greenburgh Public Library. Now more than ever, it is critical that we provide the necessary funding to insure that our Library remains the focal point of our community”, said Ms. Judy Chriss, Foundation President. “Books and Cooks is a unique event that will simultaneously entertain and educate and at only $99 per person is a terrific value. The Greenburgh Public Library Foundation hopes that our annual fundraising event will become an integral part of insuring that our Library has the funding it needs to continue to offer the top-notch programming and services our community has become accustomed to”.



Established in 1999, The Greenburgh Public Library Foundation recognizes the Greenburgh Public Library as a uniquely valuable asset and a central unifying factor for the entire Greenburgh community. The Foundation is committed to dedicating all its efforts to ensure the continued health and vitality of the Library for the benefit of the people of Greenburgh. Mindful of the public funding from the Town for the Library’s operating budget, the Foundation endeavors to complement and enhance the Library’s ability to provide the highest and most meaningful level of service and resources to the community. Foundation priorities include making it possible for the Greenburgh Public Library to function as a venue that will give the Town of Greenburgh a single, unified sense of identity and pride, increasing and enhancing resources and services for young adults and children while ensuring equality of access to all resources for all citizens. The Foundation works with the Greenburgh Public Library to identify present and future needs, soliciting donations, gifts, and grants to provide needed funds on an on-going, long-term basis.



The Foundation is incorporated and registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization. Books and Cooks ticket expenditures as well as funds, securities, or real property given to the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation are tax deductible. Gifts to the Foundation may be given for projects or purchases that will be of immediate use to the Library, or may be placed in an endowment fund.



The timing for the Books and Cooks event is significant. On the heels of well-publicized 2010 budget cuts, the Greenburgh Public Library will benefit tremendously from the funds that are raised through the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation’s efforts and the Books and Cooks event.



“The Greenburgh Public Library has historically provided the Greenburgh community with an outstanding array of services and programming and we have grown into one of the largest and most vital Libraries in Westchester County”, said Eugenie Contrata, Library Director. “But it takes funding to make these services and programs available and continue them at levels that those in our community have come to expect. We’re thrilled with what the Greenburgh Public Library Foundation is doing on behalf of our Library and we know that the Books and Cooks event will be a tremendous success”.