Posted on 08 May 2020 by Ken Feser.
During a socially distant cheque presentation at the Medicine Hat Public Library (MHPL) on Thursday evening, the Medicine Hat Kinsmen Club’s Local Services Director, Evan Laturnas presented the Library with a cheque for $80,000. The remaining $79,000 donation will come in a second phase in 2021.
How will the donation be used?
Until just this past year with the addition of the Co-op Community Developmental Play Space, made possible by a generous donation from Federated Co-operatives Ltd., the space has largely remained unchanged since it opened in 1992. A walk through will reveal stained carpets, rusted shelves, and worn fixtures from almost 30-years of being well-loved and well-used by the community.
When we found out that we were getting a donation from Co-op to build the Play Space inside the Kinsmen Children’s Library, we started to realize that many of our furnishings and fixtures were actually quite dated. We reached out to the Kinsmen Club and submitted a proposal to revitalize the space with new carpet, paint, furniture, and shelving.
How will the donation help our community?
When this revitalization project is finished, you can expect a bright, colourful, inviting space that children will want to visit often. We hope parents will encourage these visits and will help us to instill a lifelong love of reading in their children. After the revitalization, we expect even more families to visit the Library to not just play, but to also leave with a stack of books and the willingness to make reading a regular part of their children’s lives.
Thank you to the Kinsmen Club for helping us to reach our goal of enhancing literacy in our community.
What now?
Though the Library is temporarily closed right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be starting work in the Kinsmen Children’s Library as soon as possible. We will return with a revitalized children’s space, one that the children of Medicine Hat truly deserve. We are so grateful to the Kinsmen Club for showing their support of our library with this donation, and for giving our community something to look forward to during these tough times.
How can you help?
If you're able, please show your support to our local Kinsmen Club by purchasing your Home Lotto Ticket before 11:59 pm this Sunday, May 10! Tickets can be bought online at mhkinsmen.ca.