Ireland Bank Sponsors Library Golf in Soda
Left to Right: Beth Cheirrett, Friends of the Library President; Dorajo Messerly, Children's Librarian and Friends Liaison; Hope Hansen, Library Director; Ronda Lutz, Ireland Bank Branch Manager, Jessica Price, Relationship Banker; Jessica Perron, Relationship Banker
It’s still too early to hit the links—at least without either a sled or waders, depending on the day—but even if the weather outside keeps doing its thing, the weather at the Soda Springs Library should be perfect on March 10.
From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on that day, Ireland Bank is sponsoring an indoor mini-golf event, a fun event that will raise funds for many of the projects on the library’s wish and necessity list.
9-holes of mini golf mayhem are currently being constructed by a number of local individual sponsors (former library director Cindy Erickson among others!) as well as businesses and organizations.
Each hole will follow a literary theme of the maker’s choosing, which will include The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Curious George, Lord of the Rings, Pippi Longstocking, Richard Scarry’s Busy Town, Alice in Wonderland, Dr. Suess, Jurassic Park and Charlotte's Web. All holes are being designed and built by volunteers in support of the library and the mission statement of the Friends of the Library, which is “to promote, enhance and expand the services of the library for the benefit of the community through events, fundraising, and advocacy.”
Friends of the Library President Beth Cheirett stated: “We are incredibly grateful for the families, organizations, and businesses who are donating their time and talent to design the golf course. We have such a supportive community.”
Tape on the floor maps out where the various holes will be constructed, and the library staff are getting more excited to see what it eventually looks like as the time draws closer.
“This should be a fun family night centered around mini golf, concessions, and community,” Children’s Librarian Dorajo Messerly said. “Each hole will feature a fun children’s book theme that you will not want to miss!”
Putters, balls and scorecards will be provided by the Friends of the Library, thanks to a sponsorship by Ireland Bank.
“There are startup costs associated with holding an event like this, so we were ecstatic about the generous donation by Ireland Bank. They really made the entire thing possible! We are so grateful for their commitment to the community and the library,” Cheirrett said.
According to the Friends of the library, “the course will be spread throughout the main floor and basement of the library. All are welcome - no golf experience required. Since each hole will have a different designer, varying levels of difficulty are expected. There will be no official scores kept or competition hosted by the Friends, but teams are welcome to keep score and compete amongst themselves.”
Admission will not specifically be charged, but will be taken “by donation” at the door. Attendees are strongly encouraged by the organizers to sign up for a tee time in advance at sslibraryfriends.com/minigolf.
“With only 9 teams on the course at a given time, it’s crucial for us to space out the crowd. Much of the library’s square footage will be taken up with the game, so we want to avoid large groups of people waiting for an open slot,” Cheirrett said.
The library will close at noon on March 10th to accommodate the event. Additional information can be found at sslibraryfriends.com/minigolf or by calling the library at (208) 547-2606.
