donations

Press Release:

GO ART! is thrilled to announce an exciting new project set to transform the Genesee-Orleans region: GO BARN! Located at the Orleans County Fairgrounds on Route 31, between Medina and Albion, GO BARN! will be a dynamic cultural community hub designed to bring arts, agricultural education, and entrepreneurial opportunities together under one roof.

GO BARN! will serve as a vibrant space for a wide range of arts and educational programs, with workshops spanning fine arts, culinary arts, horticulture, fiber arts, and more. Developed in partnership with Orleans Cornell Cooperative Extension, the facility will offer specialized programs in sustainable agriculture and fiber arts, alongside dedicated areas for performances, gallery exhibitions, community gardens, and artisan workshops. GO BARN! will be a cornerstone for local artisans, performers, and small business owners, creating opportunities for connection, learning, and economic growth in the region.

Community Backing Needed to Secure Funding

GO ART! has identified significant funding sources for GO BARN!’s construction; however, major funders want to see strong community support before committing to full project funding. To demonstrate the region’s commitment, GO ART! is launching a community campaign to raise $150,000 by December 31. This initial funding will advance key programming and design stages, laying the groundwork for grant applications that will unlock the larger financial resources needed to bring GO BARN! to life.

“GO BARN! is about more than just a building—it’s about creating a shared space where our community can thrive,” says Gregory Hallock, Executive Director of GO ART!. “Every donation, no matter the size, is a show of support for our vision of a place where people of all ages can connect, create, and grow together.”

How You Can Help

Community members across Genesee and Orleans Counties are invited to join this transformative effort by:

• Making a Donation: Every gift, large or small, will help reach the $150,000 goal and demonstrate community backing to our funders. Donations can be made at www.goart.org.
• Spreading the Word: Share the news about GO BARN! with friends, family, and neighbors. 
• Volunteering and Getting Involved: GO ART! is also seeking representatives from Orleans County to join its board and committees.

Press Release:

The Rotary Club of Batavia is inviting the Batavia and Genesee County communities to join in a Disaster Relief fund to aid the people devasted by the recent hurricanes and resulting floods in the southeast region of the country.

The local club voted unanimously on Tuesday to match the local community’s total donations up to $5,000.

“Because time is of the essence, we are seeking monetary donations deemed to be the fastest and most effective way to help the thousands of people impacted by these latest storms,” said Batavia Rotary Club President Michael Hodgins.

Persons or groups wishing to make a cash donation are urged to make checks payable to: The Rotary Club of Batavia and bring those checks to Lawley Insurance, 20 Jefferson Ave. in Batavia between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The deadline for donations is noon on Monday, October 14. All cash raised will directly benefit relief efforts across disaster areas in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

Rotary clubs across the nation play a crucial role in assisting the affected areas. By leveraging their extensive network and resources, Rotary clubs can mobilize quickly to provide immediate aid, including food, clean water, and medical supplies. Additionally, Rotary members can volunteer their skills for rebuilding efforts, help coordinate disaster response activities, and support long-term recovery projects.

However, during the initial phase of any disaster recovery, the most important way to assist an impacted area is through cash donations.

Donations may be tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.

Press release:

The Friends of Richmond Memorial Library are pleased to announce the return of the book sale! The Friends will host a special sale on Saturday, June 19 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the library.

This is the first sale since the coronavirus pandemic began, so the Friends are relaunching in a big way with plenty of new items to choose from!

There will be spaces set up in the Gallery Room, the Wilber-Fox Memorial Room and the Reading Room to browse for books.

“It’s been more than a year and we’re very excited to safely resume our sales,” said Friends of the Library Board President Kathy Zipkin. “The Friends sale has become a staple in the community, and we’re grateful for everyone’s support and patience. We know many people have been holding onto their books to donate!”

With the return of the book sale, the Friends gratefully accept your donations of gently used or new books and DVDs, BluRay, and CDs in good condition.

Before bringing your books for donation, the library asks you to consider:

• Is there significant wear and tear, such as a broken binding, or loose, torn, or missing covers or pages?
• Is there mold or mildew? Books with mold or mildew often smell musty and are discolored or spotted.
• Is there water damage or staining?
• Do the books have a strong odor such as cigarette smoke?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, the library will not be able to make use of your donation.

Other types of materials that are not needed are textbooks and encyclopedias.

Donations are accepted anytime the library is open, Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. - 9 pm, and Friday and Saturday 9 am – 5 pm. For very large donations (more than four boxes at a time) the library asks you to call ahead to (585) 343-9550, ext. 3.

Please place all donations in the bin located in the lobby. The library requests that you do not place donations in the book drop or on the loading dock.

All proceeds from the Friends of the Library sales benefit the Friends, who use the funds for library advocacy and programming. Payments for sale items can be made by cash or check.

Richmond Memorial Library continually provides access to physical and virtual resources and services that meet the educational, informational and recreational needs of its diverse community in a safe and comfortable environment. 

Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St in the City of Batavia.

With the support of WBTA, city firefighters and assorted volunteers, the Salvation Army was able to collect hundreds of toys today for needy children in our community. Today's drop off point was at Ken Barrett's auto dealership. Gift givers can continue to drop off toys at Barrett's all week. WBTA's Dan Fischer said that this year many more girls toys came in than boys toys and so more toys for boys are still needed.

The word tragedy is loosely defined as “when bad things happen to good people.” The Fitzsimmons family lost all their possessions and their home in Oakfield on July 30. Luckily, Steve, Alicia and their two boys, Collin, 16, and Tyler, 11, escaped the blaze with their lives.

“When it was over, they literally had nothing but the clothes on their backs...the kids didn’t even have shoes on their feet,” said Tracine Lundmark, a friend of Alicia's.

Lundmark was at the scene the night of the fire and said: “We were all just glad that everyone was alright. I kept telling her that things can be replaced – it’s family that matters.”

The house on Maple Avenue was a point of pride for the Fitzsimmons – they had revamped every room in their home except one. Even the firefighters that night commented on their immaculate backyard, but Alicia was only concerned about her family. “We’re all ok," Tracine said her friend kept repeating, “We’re all ok.”

One of the only things that survived the flames is Alicia's MP3 player. She had just added all her favorite songs and put it in a drawer in the kitchen.

“It’s like God knew she needed some comfort to get her through all this, so he let her have her music," Tracine said with tears in her eyes.

Tragedy can strike at any time – even on a quiet evening at home. Alicia said she left the bathroom that evening to see a haze in the hallway. She thought the smoke from the grill had somehow gotten in the house, so she went to the bedroom to investigate. When she saw the fire, she yelled for Steve and they tried to put it out and called 911.

About 45 minutes into the blaze, Tracine said it was apparent that the house would be a total loss: “When they start knocking down walls and tearing things up with an overhaul… you know there won’t be a house left.”

For now, the Fitzsimmons family is staying with Alicia's mother in Bergen, but they’re looking for a temporary apartment in Oakfield. They don’t want to let this awful turn of events uproot them from their community, especially since Collin will be entering his senior year at Oakfield-Alabama Central School.

The community is working hard to help the family get back on their feet, too. Tracine and her daughter made “spare change buckets” to put throughout the town for people to “give what they can in this economy.” Buckets can be found in the local churches, Yellow Goose, Santino’s, Ally’s Cones and Dogs and the Oakfield Pharmacy.

When Tracine gave Alicia the first round of donations, she said Alicia got teary and asked quietly, “How can I possibly thank everyone?”

Alicia and her family are grateful for their lives, all the genorosity they've been shown, and for everyone's thoughts and prayers.  She says that Tracine has truly been an angel.  She also wants to thank Matt and Debbie Maritan, the Chase family, Mandy McAvoy, their neighbors, the Barnes (for the walmart gift card and the Nintendo DS for Tyler) and the Oakfield community.

She says:

"These are just a few of the people who have been so giving and willing to do as much as they can for us. We are eternally grateful to everyone who has helped us out. Complete strangers have been so kind and giving. It's amazing how this community and even people outside the community have been so selfless, and willing to do something for a family they don't even know. God bless them all."