Guests enjoy royal celebration during Monroeville Public Library fundraiser

Guests were dressed in their Sunday best with their pinkies up while they attended the Queen’s Jubilee Tea Fundraiser at the Pitcairn Public Park Building.

The June 12 event was hosted by Monroeville Public Library to raise money for its operations department. More funding in that division increases the amount of programs the library is able to offer. It also gives staff the opportunity to ensure the building has up-to-date materials for patrons.

“This event came together with a lot of hard work by a lot of different people,” said Nicole Henline, director of Monroeville Public Library. “We had a wonderful committee. The staff, the board and the members all had a hand in this event.”

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the library has been unable to host in-person events for the past two years. With the Queen’s Jubilee being recently celebrated in England, the planning committee saw the ideal opportunity for a theme.

A jubilee is an event traditionally celebrating a monarch reaching a milestone. In this case, the country celebrated Queen Elizabeth II reaching 70 years as a ruler.

“After a two-year hiatus, we figured a royal affair would be an appropriate theme, with everyone joining together again,” said Henline.

With a $35 donation, guests were given tickets to the tea, where lunch consisted of an assortment of teas, sparkling punches, finger sandwiches of all different varieties and a dessert table featuring over 2,000 cookies. All food was donated and prepared by library staffers and other volunteers.

Attendees were also invited to participate in a fully stocked photo booth with props and a life-sized cardboard cutout of Elizabeth II.

Volunteers also put together a build-your-own fascinator table. A fascinator is a small decorative hat that usually lies close to the head and is traditional attire for English tea. Guests were then invited to take part in a Best Fascinator contest and winners were given prizes.

Throughout the event, guests were able to participate in a 50/50 raffle and to purchase tickets for raffle baskets assembled and donated by volunteers.

The magic of the tea was found in the details. From author and musician Gemma Stemley playing “God Save the Queen” to signify the beginning of the tea, to centerpieces featuring small paper dolls depicting Queen Elizabeth II dressed in her most popular outfits, there were many different pieces included in the event to bring the theme together. Most of the decorations were made at the library.

“It’s a testament to the fact that the library isn’t just a building full of books,” said Kelly Meredith, the Chair of Funding Development. “Our library is a jewel.”

The fundraiser attracted over 100 participants. Diane Lindsey, president of the Friends of Monroeville Library group, attributed the popularity of the event to the hard work of volunteers and staff, as well as the excitement of an in-person gathering.

“So many people are so excited to see friends again and celebrate good news,” said Lindsey.

Library staff, members and volunteers were encouraged by the success of the tea.

“I’m looking around and my heart is so full,” said Debbie Iszauk, library board president.

The library is intent on making its building a welcoming space for patrons of any community by hosting summer reading programs as well as workshops for younger guests, and continuing to incorporate more programs into offered activities.

“We want to do what will be the most meaningful to the communities that we serve,” said Iszauk.

As the event came to a close, guests were given small pots with soil and seeds as favors to signify the actual jubilee’s theme of “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.” The queen’s initiative resulted in over 1 million trees being planted across the United Kingdom.

The library board of directors intends to make the tea an annual event with a different theme each year. Next year’s theme was declared to be Alice in Wonderland.

For more information about Monroeville Public Library, visit www.monroevillelibrary.org.