Friends of the Library and City of Bremerton receive $100,000 award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

BREMERTON, Wash. -- The Friends of the Library and the city of Bremerton today launched their capital campaign to renovate the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library with the announcement of a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The gift to renovate the downtown library is contingent upon the ability of the Friends of the Library and the city of Bremerton to secure the additional funding necessary to complete the project.

The renovation project for the 62 year-old library will include a new roof, new windows and a handicapped-accessible bathroom. The group will request additional funding through the Community Development Block Grant Program and from the general public to complete the renovation of the public library on Fifth Street, near Pacific Avenue in downtown Bremerton.

"As of today, we have launched our campaign to raise the remaining funds necessary to complete the project. This will provide the opportunity for businesses, citizens and civic groups to take part in a worthy project for our community," said Mike Momany, Grants Coordinator for the Friends of the Library, which supports the needs of libraries in Bremerton through fund-raising and advocacy efforts. "Transforming this building into an attractive site will result in more citizens using the library."

"We're ecstatic about this news," said Bremerton Mayor Lynn Horton. "This generous donation should help us launch a successful fund-raising campaign. We are grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for helping us with this project."

The library renovation project is part of an ongoing effort to revitalize downtown Bremerton. The Admiral Theatre was reopened in 1997 after a $4.2 million dollar renovation. "We are proud to be a part of the revitalization efforts in Bremerton. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is a wonderful resource for all of Kitsap County," said William H. Gates, Sr., Co-Chair & CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

For more information about the project or to make a donation, please call Elaine Valencia at the city of Bremerton at (360) 478-5266. Checks should be made out to MLK Library Project c/o City Treasurer, 239 4th Street, Bremerton, WA 98337.