Golfers are urged to take their best swings as part of an event to support the Palmerton Area Library.

Back by popular demand, the second annual Palmerton Area Library Open will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Blue Ridge Country Club in Palmerton.Proceeds from the event benefit children and adult programs at the library. After the golf tournament, a dinner and auction will follow.Diane Danielson, library director, said she's hopeful the event will attract a large crowd."We all know funding has been level-funded, but our attendance has been up like crazy," Danielson said. "Our staff is overworked, because we constantly help people on the computers, which is very time-consuming."Danielson added "it would be great if we could increase our hours, because it's really tough to be open two evenings a week; we really would like to do that if we could get more money to try to keep up to date with new technology.""It just takes an awful lot of money and time," she said. "We're always looking for new ways to use our building."However, the event isn't just for golfers, Danielson noted."It's open, even if you don't golf and want to come for supper," she said. "We will have a basket auction going on during dinner, and have a lot of items for a silent auction, as the surrounding community has been very generous with gift cards."As an added bonus, Danielson said Palmerton native Billy Cyr, president and CEO of Sunny Delight Beverages Co., will serve as emcee for this year's event.Cyr's company supports education through a program that provides books to various school districts throughout the nation.Sunny Delight Beverages Co. is the manufacturer and marketer of seven leading brands of fruit flavored beverages, including Sunny Delight, Veryfine, Fruit2O, Bossa Nova and Elations.Cyr graduated from Palmerton Area High School in 1981. He attended Princeton University, and graduated with a degree in History and East Asian Studies in 1985.Cyr has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in Southwest Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana; the Dealmaker of the Year by the Association for Corporate Growth; and recently received the Good Scout of the Year Award by the Dan Beard Council Boy Scouts of America.Any businesses or individuals who would like to serve as a major sponsor may contact the library.The library's state funding has been cut by 30-percent in the past three years, along with a decrease in funding from other sources.In order to receive funding, the library is mandated by the state on how many hours it must be open, how much it must spend on books, and how many staff hours it must pay for.To sign up for the tournament, donate or volunteer, contact the library at (610) 826-3424, or email at

plapalm@ptd.net.