BP donates $100,000 to future Birch Bay library

By Oliver Lazenby

BP Cherry Point donated $100,000 to Friends of the Birch Bay Library on December 17, kick-starting the group’s effort to fund a new library. It’s the first major public donation to the library, which will be built at 7290 Birch Bay Drive on property the Whatcom County Library System purchased in 2017.

“This is our kick off, really,” said Dianne Marrs-Smith, president of Friends of the Birch Bay Library. The friends group is responsible for funding construction. “I think this donation makes this project real. It’s really happening.”

Before BP’s donation, the group had $20,000 in private donations. They expect it will take $3.5 to $3.7 million to build the library and five years to raise that amount.

The Whatcom County Library System, which will operate the future library, held a series of community planning meetings over the summer and now has a design that’s final aside from minor tweaks.

With a design to show off, the Friends group is preparing for more fundraising and planning events throughout 2019, Marrs-Smith said. Pam Brady, BP director of Northwest government and public affairs, said the library would be important for promoting literacy and as a community-gathering place.

“I think it’s really important that we’re able to give some seed money to the project,” she said. “The community leaders in Birch Bay, folks who have been champions of this library, have been wonderful to work with on other projects. We know the team and know that they can do big things.”