Library Foundation to Kick Off Annual Appeal Fundraising Campaign with Musical Performance, Rawlings to Chair

The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation will kick off its 2007 Annual Appeal Fundraising Campaign Sunday, September 23, 2007 with a musical performance by the duo Mandin Foli.

Mandin Foli, comprised of Yacouba Diarra and London McDaniel, explores the bridge between traditional West African and American music through the kora, hand drums, lap steel and nylon-stringed guitars. The performance is being held in conjunction with the 2007 Community Read of The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer.

The Foundation’s annual appeal will be chaired by Elizabeth Trapnell Rawlings, former "first lady" of Cornell University during her husband Hunter R. Rawling’s tenure as university president. Rawlings is an active community volunteer and an expert in literary translation from French. She is a member of the Tompkins County Public Library Advisory Council.

The theme of this year’s campaign, which aims to raise $60,000 to aid the Library’s efforts to serve users of all ages and backgrounds, is "Nourish Your Mind and Spirit". Rawlings invites community members to join her in supporting the Library by contributing to the annual appeal.

The event will begin at 1:00 PM with light refreshments and mingling. Rawlings will make remarks regarding the Campaign at 1:45 PM and Mandin Foli will perform from 2:00 to 3:00 PM.

The event is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Library’s Ezra Cornell Reading Room.

The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to provide financial support and benefits to the Tompkins County Public Library, enhancing opportunities for the library’s continued growth and service to the entire community. The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation raises funds, manages an endowment and enlists support from individuals, businesses, foundations, civic organizations, and trusts and estates.