September 10, 2014, Brentwood CA– Community support was overflowing at a Brentwood charity event last week, as 170 area residents opened their wallets while being entertained at a Murder Mystery Dinner Party in honor of the newly-formed Brentwood Library Foundation.
Over $3,000 was raised from silent auction and raffle activities at the event, which sold the initial 150 dinner tickets just weeks after their release. Twenty more seats were added to deal with surprising demand.
“We are thrilled that our launch event, the Murder Mystery Dinner Party, was such a splendid success,” said Dr. Shirley Peck, President of the Brentwood Library Foundation. “We sold out long before the event occurred, showing how supportive the Brentwood and Discovery Bay communities are of our work to fund construction of a new library building.”
“We look forward to planning another exciting event to help celebrate the 100th Birthday of the Brentwood Library, in January of 2015,” she said.
Literary attendees included Dan Hanel, Carol A. Jensen, Jude Morton and Kati Short. Hanel has authored a novel set in the Brentwood area, “In the Shadow of Diablo.” Jensen has written and co-written nine books, primarily on the history of East Contra Costa locations, while Morton penned “Travels in the Bone House” from her Central Contra Costa home. Short, now serving her second term as Brentwood’s Poet Laureate, has edited “In the Shadow of Mt. Diablo, Vols. I, II, III. ” The fourth edition of the anthology of local writers is now in the works. All donated works for the auction.
Local and regional politicians also showed their support for the library construction cause. Joel Keller, BART Board President, was in attendance, as was Brentwood City Council Member Gene Clare. Jessica Hudson, County Librarian and Director of the CCC Library System, as well as Lea Castleberry, Deputy Chief of Staff for CCC Supervisor Mary Piepho, also attended.
“The actors did an amazing job of keeping the large crowd involved in the plot,” said Diane Alexander, the evening’s chief architect. Alexander is Secretary and Board Member of the Brentwood Library Foundation and President of the Friends of the Brentwood Library.
“We are so grateful to those who attended,” she said, “and we are sorry we had to turn so many away. We look forward to many more exciting events that will engage the community to raise funds for a new library.”
About the Brentwood Library Foundation
The Brentwood Library Foundation is a non-profit organization being formed in 2014. Its purpose is to enhance the role of the Brentwood Library in our community, and to support the library’s role of providing materials and services to the public.
Information and Photo provided by Bryon Scott
