You're Invited to a Garden Gala!

Celebrating the Progress of our Garden Campaign, Plus Additional Updates

Mar 30, 2025

Dear Friend,

You are Cordially Invited to a

GARDEN GALA

Saturday, April 26, from 5:30-8:30pm
at New Castle Public Library

Please Attend to Enjoy …

Live Music & Comedy
Hors D’ouevres from Zollie’s Jazz Cucina
Wines from The Sycamore Wine Bar
Beer from Jessop’s Colonial Tavern
Silent Auctions
Special Raffles & 50/50
Literary Diversions
Delicious Desserts
… and much more …

… While Raising Funds to
Complete our Campaign for

A LIBRARY GARDEN FOR EVERYONE

Tickets are $50 each and include
hors d’ouevres, one complimentary
drink ticket, and a door prize entry

Now Available at FriendsGarden.org

(Tickets are limited to 100 guests)

Volunteers Needed: Help Make the Gala an Exquisite Experience - and a Successful Fundraiser!

The Gala committee, led by Friends VP Jenn Ramsdell, has been doing amazing work pulling together what promises to be an exceptional event.

As the day approaches - and especially on the day of the gala - we will need some fantastic volunteers to help everything run smoothly and ensure that those supporting our project by attending have a good time.

Event volunteers may qualify for discounted tickets to the Gala!

There are a number of ways that Friends and supporters can contribute to this event…

Many Hands Making Light Work of Small Bites - Bakers Needed!

For those who want to channel their inner pastry chef, the Garden Gala committee would like to invite you to create a small bite confection for our dessert table.

Bigger isn't always better. From brownies to cupcakes to cookies, we are looking for mini desserts that prove bite-size is just as delicious and they make a stunning presentation. Here are some ideas: Miniature tarts, mini cheesecakes, mini cupcakes, brownie bites or miniature cookies. Think about something that celebrates spring in a lite bite or miniaturize your best confection. About 2 dozen bites would be perfect.

Please contact Anna Marie (215-820-9213) no later than Saturday April 12th to let her know what you would like to make.

Set-Up, Service and Break-down - Various Volunteers Needed!

We're also looking for at least a dozen volunteers to assist with the Library Garden Gala, with tasks ranging from set-up before the event, check in, auction/raffle ticket sales and monitoring, roaming 50/50 sales, keeping the space tidy as people enjoy themselves, and event take down.

Those who volunteer to help during the Gala for at least an hour will receive a coupon code for a discounted ticket (which includes a drink ticket, a door prize ticket, and the buffet). If you just want to serve the whole time, of course, you do not need a ticket.

If you are able to help out at this exciting event, please contact Jenn about what you’re interested in doing and you’ll receive a link to sign up for the time slot that works for you and a code to apply to your ticket.

Thank you -

we hope to see you at the Gala!

Special thanks to the New Castle Hundred Lions Club!

The New Castle Lions have generously provided NCLF with three booths for a book sale/raffle at their Art on the Green event every year for five years.

This month, they also made an enormous show of support for the Garden Project with a very generous donation of $2500 to the campaign!

The Friends are so grateful for the strong support of our local, non-profit partners as we work toward the vision of a new gathering area for our library.

Last month, we surpassed 80% of our funding goal!

Thank you so much to the New Castle Hundred Lions and everyone in this great community who has gotten involved for your help!

Other NCLF News & Updates

With the warmer weather, the Friends are also preparing for DIONC, the beginning of Book Sale season, and there’s much else going on as well. Please check out the brief updates below on a range of topics…

Friendly Faces Needed to welcome guests to the 100th Anniversary Day in Old New Castle

On May 17, 2025, New Castle will open its doors for A Day in Old New Castle, one hundred years after the inaugural event in 1925. The Friends will once again play a part, welcoming guests as they check in at New Castle Court House Museum and helping them figure out where they are going from there.

DIONC Chair Judy Panzarella does an enormous amount of work ahead of the event to help promote it throughout the region. On May 17, the day of the event, she will need volunteers to help out at the Court House. If you’d like to be added to her list, please email Judy.

Spring Book Sales & Raffles at May Market & Separation Day

May Market is on Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3. The Friends will hold a book sale and raffle as part of Arasapha Garden Club’s fun annual sale of plants and gently-used home and garden treasures. Just a few volunteers will be needed for this sale - if you’re interested please reach out to co-chair Susan (see below). Co-chair Rob is also looking for more books about gardening to make sure we have a great collection for folks to peruse!

Separation Day - celebrated on Saturday, June 7 this year - remains our single biggest book sale of the year, and may have a second day on Sunday. We’ll have books inside and -weather allowing - on the street. For this event, we will need plenty of volunteers to talk to guests, help them find what they are looking for and make sure everyone is taken care of. Please reach out to Susan by email if you’d like to be added to her list of volunteers!

Raffles for both events are already being planned by Raffle artist (and chair) Jenn Rammsdell. She asks:

We're looking for raffle basket items for May Market and Separation Day, falling under the themes of whimsy, self-care, picnics and hosting, home improvements, Historic New Castle, and summer beach reads. Items may include:
Beach towels/accessories
beach toys
decorations for a fairy garden
self-care or spa related items (creams, face masks, eye patches, etc)
trinket dishes, glassware, little knick knacks
bottles of wine
historic new castle/delaware related items
Mothers Day related goods

Small items and single bags or boxes may be left for Jenn at the Reference Desk. If you have any questions please send Jenn an email. Thank you!

Opportunities to Contribute Directly to Library Programs

NCPL staff will be bringing the Library on the Loose program out into New Castle’s neighborhoods again this Summer. As they get ready for this wondercul program that connects kids with reading resources, opportunities to meet local police, hygiene products and more, staff are looking for donations of some of the items needed. Please check out the graphic below (or the text list below that) about what kinds of items will be gratefully accepted at the library for this program. Thanks!

School Supplies List:

Pencils, pens, erasers, pencil boxes
Crayons, markers, highlighters
Rulers, scissors, glue sticks, glue
Folders, notebooks
Backpacks

Hygiene Product List (TRAVEL SIZE):

Deodorant
Feminine menstrual products
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss
Hairbrushes, combs
Shampoo, conditioner, soap

There will also be a Comedy Night at the Library on May 9, which will raise funds for the library directly. Staff have asked if a few Friends would like to help sell snacks, direct patrons and - if you have an ABC license - sell drinks. (And of course you get to enjoy the comedy!) If you’re interested in this one, please reach out to NCPL’s Teen Librarian Nicole Worth by email.

Thank you for being a part of our New Castle Public Library community.

If you have not yet become a Friend for 2025, please consider doing so - we have a lot of exciting ways we are supporting our library this year, and we’d love for you to be a part of them.

We hope to see you at one or more of the many fun events coming up.

Have a wonderful Spring!