Thanksto Hometown Hoopster Dwyane Wade, Robbins Library Safe Through October

$25,000 gift will keep doors open for another month; library officials say gift buys time

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 09/11/2009

• Money raised staved off closing in September
• New gift keeps doors open in October
• Tax revenues expected in mid-November

LJ reported on August 31 that, thanks to donations from the public, the William Leonard Public Library District (WLPLD) in impoverished Robbins, IL, has received a reprieve, staving off closure at least through the month of September. 

Now, thanks to a $25,000 donation from Robbins native Dwyane Wade, a star with the Miami Heat basketball team, WLPLD will stay open through October, just a few weeks before tax revenues are supposed to arrive.

Library officials told the Chicago Sun-Times that Wade's gift allows them more time to raise the rest of the money they need.

"This is near and dear to my heart because I'm from here. I know the struggle of our youth. Not having a public library to go to takes away their opportunities even more," Wade told the newspaper.