Last Friday, the first day of spring, Orono Public Library Foundation officials announced that they have established the “finish line” for raising $370,000 for “Chapter Two: The Campaign for the Orono Village Green.” With $97,873 to go to reach the campaign goal, the Foundation set August 31 as the completion date, according to Foundation President Sarah Kenney.
“The Orono Village Green will be a wonderful, three-season outdoor space for our entire community. We are so very close to the campaign’s ‘finish line,’ and once it’s complete, we will gift the funds to the Town of Orono to commence construction. We are all looking forward to the new green space directly behind the Orono Public Library, made possible by the generosity of our donors,” said Kenney, who also serves as campaign co-chair.
According to Library Foundation Vice President and campaign co-chair Brian Rahill, all donors who contribute by or before August 31st will be recognized on an outdoor sign to be installed on the Orono Village Green. “By announcing that the campaign will come to a close six months from now, all who want to be part of this project will have a chance to participate,” Rahill explained.
“Our message is – don’t let this campaign end without you,” added Rahill.
The Orono Village Green will feature a 125-seat amphitheater with large flat stone stage, an ADA accessible ramp, lawn and granite seating, hundreds of ornamental trees, flowers and plantings, a stone plaza with tables, chairs and sun shade, an overlook area, pergola and bench seating areas. There will also be pathways circling the grounds connecting to the Orono Senior Center and leading to the village.
Funds for the Orono Village Green campaign are being raised privately and will be gifted to the Town of Orono.
The library and grounds are property of the town, and all aspects of the construction project will be managed by town staff. To date 304 donors have contributed $272,161 to the Orono Village Green campaign.
The Orono Public Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to raise the funds to construct the library. An all-volunteer organization, the Foundation is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors.
For more information about the Foundation or to contribute to the Orono Village Green campaign go towww.oronolibraryfoundation.org or find them on Facebook at Orono Public Library Foundation. Contact the Foundation by telephone (207) 991-3734, or mail PO Box 308, Orono, ME 04473.

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