The South Central Regional Library’s 60th anniversary year isn’t over just yet, but they’re planning to go out with a bang.
The library has teamed up with Rhineland Car Co. in Altona for the Off Road With a Good Book fundraising raffle.
For $100, you get a one-in-2,000 chance to win a Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend SUV from the dealership.
“We’ve been working on this for awhile,” shared Gail Hildebrand, SCRL director of library services, noting it enables them to wrap up their milestone anniversary year on a high note indeed. “It’s an amazing prize—a new car—and Rhineland Car has really worked with us on the pricing of it. They’ve put together an amazing package.”
The dealership is providing the vehicle, valued at over $41,000, to the raffle at cost.
“So that takes money out of their pocket, and we really appreciate that they’re doing that for us,” Hildebrand said. “They were really excited to be able to work with us on this … they are library people, and they love to support the library.”
Tickets are available to Manitoba residents 18 years old and up at any SCRL branch (Winkler, Morden, Altona, Manitou, and Miami) and at Rhineland Car. The draw will take place at the dealership on Dec. 15.
Funds raised will go to help the library complete special projects at each of its branches, Hildebrand said.
“That’s what the funds will go towards, and then any excess will all be divided equally between the branches as well as our front office so that we can put some money into things we don’t necessarily find the funding for easily,” she said.
Among the projects on the library’s wish list is an expansion at the Altona branch’s front desk area, updated patron seating in Manitou, a joint green space with the Miami Railway Station Museum in Miami, renovations to the meeting room in Morden, and the addition of a coffee corner for patrons in Winkler.
The raffle is just one of the events happening this fall to support these projects—they’re also hosting an 18+ quiz night in Altona on Friday, Oct. 24.
“We did a quiz night earlier this spring as part of our 60th celebrations,” Hildebrand explained.” It was a gala event where everybody got to dress up and be sparkly and shiny and pretty for something. And people really enjoyed it. We got a lot of really positive feedback and people asking when were we going to do it again.”
With October being Library Month, it seemed the perfect time to host another one, albeit a fair bit more of a casual night this time around. Hildebrand says they intend to host more trivia nights in the future, rotating between their branch communities.
There will be prizes up for grabs for trivia masters. Participants are encouraged to consider coming in a Halloween costume for a crack at a best costume prize.
The competition takes place at the Rhineland Pioneer Centre starting at 7 p.m. that night. Contact your local branch to book your table ($160, six to eight people recommended per table).
