Library Board Treasurer Ardena Roberts,  Board Member & Steering Committee 2012 Chair Vicky Babcock, Board Trustee Becky Powell, Library Director Donna Clark, Mayor Bob Truesdale, and Board Secretary Tony Owen.

The Cedar Springs Public Library had a great fundraising year last year, and a new grant from the Great Lakes Energy “Round Up” program just sweetens the pot.

The $50,000 Match/Challenge defined 2012 for the Cedar Springs Library.  The hopes of adding $100,000 to the New Library Building Fund meant multiple fund raising projects throughout the year. One of the members of the Fundraising Steering Committee, Dana Gomez, read the insert with her energy bill explaining the “Round Up” program and signed up.  She saw the potential of substantial assistance and decided to submit a proposal on the Library’s behalf.

According to Library Director Donna Clark, the Library Steering Committee and the Library Board and staff were delighted to receive this grant. This $5,000, along with other local efforts, put the Library over its $50,000 goal, boosting the new library fund to $571,505. The Friends of the Library’s new library savings is around $15,800, which means the fund is nearing $600,000.

Great Lakes Energy asks that all members of the community who use them to sign up for their “Round Up” program. Members of Great Lakes Energy voluntarily round up their bills to the next highest dollar. The rounded up amount is distributed to non-profit organizations and charitable activities that benefit people in communities served by the cooperative.

“There are so many good works and worthy projects going on throughout Cedar Springs, all looking for and working hard for more to give and share,” said Clark. The Fundraising Steering Committee members, Vicky  & Hal Babcock, Earla Alber, Amanda Gerhardt, Donna Clark, Dana Gomez and daughter, Emma and Alicia Imhoff,  encourage you to “Round Up” and contact Great Lakes Energy at 1-888-485-2537 or visit glakes.com to find out if your favorite community project could benefit from the thousands of dollars generated in the “Peoples Fund” by people just like you.