Family Fun Day & Foundation Kickoff

The Hillsdale Free Public Library will be hosting the Hillsdale Free Public Library Foundation Family Fun Day & Foundation Kickoff on Sunday, October 20, from 1-4 p.m. at the Gayle and Paul Gross Building, which houses the library and is located at 509 Hillsdale Avenue. This is a free and open-to-the public event provided by The Hillsdale Free Public Library Foundation, Inc. through the generous gift of Gayle and Paul Gross.

The event will offer something for everyone. Arrive early for spooky (but not too) scary stories by master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, then try your hand at sugar cookie decorating while you listen to The Baxter Quartet, which will entertain with a mix of jazz classics, new twists on pop favorites, and original compositions. And be sure to meet the trustees of the Hillsdale Free Public Library Board of Trustees and the newly formed Hillsdale Free Public Library Foundation to learn more about the generous $1 million gift of Gayle and Paul Gross for the benefit of the library, its patrons, and the Hillsdale community.

To manage the funds, the library board of trustees has set up a Foundation consisting of separate trustees, who will serve terms of one to three years. Newly elected trustees are Barbara Abolafia, Melanie Harada, Guy Mulè, Nayda Rondon, Allen Saslowsky, and Jeffrey Steinfeld. Designated trustees, comprised of members from the existing library board, are Al Metz and Joanne Miano; Gary Weir, president of the Friends of the Hillsdale Free Public Library, is the Friends’ designated trustee; library director David Franz is a non-voting trustee member.

“We’re all honored to have this opportunity to continue to enhance and expand the library’s programming, services, events, resources, and facilities,” said Mulè, president of the Foundation. “We value the trust and confidence the Gross family has afforded us and are determined to live up to and surpass their expectations.”

“We’ve already met several times to discuss and formulate plans for how to use and grow the funds,” said Harada, Foundation vice president. “We are looking forward to meeting with our fellow community members at this Foundation Kickoff not only to celebrate Gayle and Paul Gross, and their marvelous gift, but also to share our vision for the library’s future, as well as get input from patrons about what they want and need from their library as a vibrant, welcoming center of education, entertainment, and engagement.”

The donation, which will be funded in increments of $100,000 a year over the next decade, is to support new or expanded library programs and initiatives with an emphasis on innovations that will attract and involve all facets of the community. According to the gift agreement, the money will be used exclusively to benefit the library and to further its charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. This includes strengthening programs, encouraging a wider interest in the library, and/or raising the funds necessary to supplement the library’s budget.

“We are extremely grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Gross for the future opportunities the Hillsdale Library can offer its patrons with this wonderful and generous gift,” said Dave Franz, library director.

Gayle and Paul Gross became Hillsdale residents when they were 23 years old. As their family grew, so did their community roots and love for the town. They moved various times, but always chose to stay in Hillsdale, which they called home for over 60 years. Even when they retired in 2010 and moved to their current residence in Florida, they still remained deeply committed to enriching their former community and its residents.

“When you’re successful you’ve got to give credit back. Even though I didn’t do much business in town, you have to give credit for that success. My children are wonderful, and we owe that to their schools system, their friends, and their friends’ relatives. Over the years I’ve tried to give back to Hillsdale every way I could,” Mr. Gross was quoted as saying to a local news source when the gift was first announced to the public last year. Mr. Gross built a successful insurance brokerage firm, The NIA Group, which was headquartered in Paramus. He sold this a few years ago.

The couple established the Gayle and Paul Gross Foundation in 1981. The family has supported multiple Hillsdale works, including the playground at Beechwood Park and decorative lighting around Memorial Park. Their gift of $1 million is their largest donation to date.

For more information, visit hfpl.org.