On Thursday, November 17, nearly 150 guests (including sponsors, volunteers, board members, donors and fans of the Library) joined us at Baldoria on the Water in Lakewood for our 15th annual benefit. As always, this event was held in support of our Jefferson County Library Foundation, and it helped us raise funds for the Jefferson County Public Library.

This year’s fundraiser was titled Holmes for the Holidays — A Rare & Novel Event, and (as you can guess) the evening centered on that famous literary icon, Sherlock Holmes. Our guests were first treated to a social hour where they were entertained by Rebecca Moritzky, a professional harpist, who provided just the right background sound to launch the special night. While guests mingled, they also previewed our vast silent auction — everything from sporting events tickets to shooting range certificates, and from lawn care to needle crafts.

Our event emcee and Board member, Neal Browne, added just the right polishing touches to the evening’s welcome and introductions, and — after our guests enjoyed a fabulous buffet dinner — Foundation Board President Tami Bandimere-Shrader proudly presented two special honors at this year’s benefit. Our 2016 Legacy Award was presented to Warren Roeske and his daughter, Allison Brigham, (above, right) for their generous support of the Standley Lake Library, while our first ever Partnership Award was given to Ben and Heather Mack, (left) owners of High Country Books.

We also gave special recognition to our evening’s honored guests: Jefferson County Sheriff Jeffery Shrader and his wife, Jane, along with Jefferson County Undersheriff Patricia Mundell and her husband, Larry.

Capping off the event, our guests enjoyed an original play presented by members of the local Colorado ACTS community theater troupe featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they unraveled an intriguing (and amusing) mystery. The entertainment was highlighted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department’s Deputy J.J. Smith (as Constable Smythe) and his sidekick, K-9 Thorn,  who helped our detective duo sniff out a series of clues and then nab the play’s sinister culprit!

I’m pleased to tell you that the evening helped our Foundation generate nearly $21,000! We appreciate everyone who participated in this year’s Rare & Novel benefit, including these key sponsors: The Jeronimus Family, Little Bear Inn, Bandimere Speedway, Pinkard Construction, Etkin Johnson Real Estate Partners, Solera Bank, Comcast’s Internet Essentials, Martin & Martin Consulting Engineers, and LeadersCove, LLC.

We are also grateful to our media sponsors: 93.7 The Rock radio and Colorado Community Media.

Stay tuned for news of our 16th annual event, which will be coming soon!