ELIZABETHTOWN – If your Christmas spirit needs a boost, swing by Bladen County Public Library at 111 N. Cypress St. in Elizabethtown.
The library is all aglow with bright and cheerful holiday decorations to put a smile on even the grinchiest of faces! Walk around and enjoy the decorations and pay $1 to cast your vote for the best tree in their first ever Festival of Trees.
All proceeds go to Toys for Tots for Bladen County. There is also a Toys for Tots collection box to drop new, unwrapped toys to make a child’s Christmas brighter. Not coming to Elizabethtown? No problem. Toys can also be dropped off at the library branches in Bladenboro and Clarkton.
One of the trees in the Festival of Trees will go home with a lucky raffle winner! The tree is super Grinchy and there is no doubt the kids will love it! It comes fully decorated, pre-lit, and ready for its new home.
The tree was donated by Simple Treasures in Elizabethtown, with all proceeds from each $5 raffle ticket going back to the library, per the donor’s request. This first ever Festival of Trees is made possible by the Friends of the Bladen County Public Library; a wonderful group of volunteers that never misses an opportunity to support the libraries of Bladen County.
For anyone looking for other ways to give to those in need this holiday season, there are a couple more options at the library. There is an Angel Tree at the entrance of the main branch in Elizabethtown, where patrons can select an angel from the tree and purchase the item requested for that specific child.
Unwrapped gifts, along with the angel, should be returned to the library by Dec. 12 for collection and distribution through the Bladen County Department of Social Services. What a blessing these gifts will be to so many children this Christmas season!
BCPL is also conducting a Senior Secret Santa Craft Drive for local nursing home residents. Collection boxes are available at all three library locations to collect the following items:
Easy paint kits, Silly toys, Puzzles and word searches, Card games, Paint-your-own ornaments or Fuzzy socks,
Library staff members will brighten the day of local nursing home residents with a jolly visit and a fun gift made possible by generous library patrons and county residents.
Not to be remiss and wind up on the naughty list, it’s important to share that Santa himself will be at Bladen County Public Library’s Children’s Christmas Party in Elizabethtown at 6 p.m., Dec. 11.
He will also visit Bridger Memorial Public Library in Bladenboro at 6:00, Dec. 15, and Clarkton Public Library at 6:00, Dec. 16. The branches have limited space, so call (910) 863-4586 to register children for the Christmas party at the Bladenboro branch, and (910) 647-3661 to register children for the Christmas Party at the Clarkton branch.
If your Christmas spirit meter is running low, hurry over to Bladen County Public Library for one of their exciting, festive, holiday events! Don’t forget to visit the library branches in Bladenboro and Clarkton as well, for a pleasant, cozy Christmas vibe.
All three locations are stocked with an updated book collection, have active book clubs, and offer programs for all ages. Don’t snooze on this Bladen County treasure! It really is the most wonderful time of the year … at the LIBRARY!
The trees were decorated by: Trees decorated by: Clarkton Public Library, Gooden Farms, Bladen County Health Department, Bladen County Smart Start, Friends of the Bladen County Public Library, Bridger Memorial Public Library, Bladen County Public Library Bookmobile Bladen County Smart Start, Bladen and AKC Cane Corso.
In addition, the library has so many more trees decorated including one very special tree for Bladen County – which is the Angel Tree. These gifts will go specifically for those less fortunate in Bladen County.