This year marks the 30th anniversary of Edwina Williams’ role as Mother Goose with the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library. The community is invited to join the celebration at a Mother Goose Picnic Friday, Aug. 26 from 6-8 p.m. on the grounds of the Stephen D. Lee Home in Columbus. The Lee Home is located at 316 Seventh St. N., next to the library.
“Mother Goose makes every day special and memorable, but Aug. 26 is a marvelous day. It marks exactly 30 years since Edwina Williams — better known as Mother Goose — began the legacy she has created at our local library,” said Anne Freeze, chair of the Year of the Goose committee. This volunteer group is facilitating events throughout the year to honor Williams and promote reading with children.
The first Year of the Goose event was a Storytime Reunion Tea Party held in April. Friday’s picnic is the second. Organizers encourage all Mother Goose fans to come out for the occasion. Attendees should bring their own picnic meal. Tea and water will be provided at no charge. Sandwiches and cookies will also be available for purchase.
“The picnic will be a festive event with live music, games, activities, fellowship and fun,” said Amber Brislin, Year of the Goose committee member. The lineup includes music by Ryan and the Goslings, children’s fun, free snow cones and more.
“We have been working to celebrate 30 years of Mother Goose’s dedication to promoting and enhancing the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library while instilling a love of reading in children of all ages,” said Freeze. “We are also working to promote the Mother Goose Endowment Fund for Children’s Literacy and Advancement.”
The Storytime Reunion this past spring at the Rosenzweig Arts Center drew a large crowd, many of them past and present Storytime participants and their parents, committee members said.
The third major Year of the Goose event planned is a ticketed formal gala set for Jan. 7, 2017. It will serve as a fundraiser for the Mother Goose Endowment that began in 2013 and has grown steadily since then. The gala will also be a birthday celebration for Mother Goose.
The endowment
The mission of the Mother Goose Endowment is to raise funds to enhance Children’s programs at the library by enlarging the collection of National and State Children’s book award winners; to make available more information in the Early Childhood Resource Center; to expand information and programming in the Autism Resource Center; and to increase resources and workshops which help parents understand the value of reading with their children.
“The yearlong celebration is not only a way to honor Mother Goose and her work to promote the importance of reading to children, but to also recognize the importance of our library to children in Lowndes County,” said Christian Heinkel, president of the Friends of the Library group.
Sponsors of the event include The Lee Home Foundation, Lee Home Docents, Ryan and the Goslings, Kroger, Main Street Columbus, Friends of the Library, Columbus Fire and Rescue and Lone Chair Studios.
A Facebook group has been created for The Year of The Goose Events. For more information on events or about The Year of the Goose, email [email protected].
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.