Friends of the Library contest helped support library programs
By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
OXFORD TWP. — The Friends of Oxford Public Library announced the top three finishers of their cute pet contest last week.
Samson the cat earned the most votes to finish in first place. Lexi the dog came in second place and Oreo the hamster earned third place. Twenty-six pets were entered, with each entry costing $5.
Guests to the library could cast votes on who they thought had the cutest pet. Friends of the Library board member Nora Hummel said voting continued for two weeks and ended with 758 total ballots cast.
The contest is one of multiple ways the nonprofit Friends raise money for the library, which is used to purchase items on the library’s wish list and enhance its programs, Hummel said.
Each year, the library creates a wish list for ideas not covered in the library’s millage and regular budget. The friends of the library raise money through the contest, book sales and other events, and the money earned are used to cover items on the library’s wish list, according to Hummel.
“And we also enhance the programming,” Hummel said. “We give them extra money to get in different programs. In fact, this year we had a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian on the water ways which we contributed to. That’s what we do.”
The winner’s owners visited the library to pick up a photo of their pet. Tammy Mathews entered Samson the cat, Lisa Karr and her daughter Alix Mooney entered Lexi the dog and Natalie McLenon entered Oreo the hamster.