Arne Nixon Center raises funds for children's library

By NYRIE KARKAZIAN

The Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts all joined Alice in Wonderland for a tea party benefiting the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature on Sunday.

The third annual Secret Garden party benefit was specifically geared toward augmenting the Henry Madden Library’s Lewis Carroll collection given to the program last year. Carroll is the author of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” which is the theme of the event this year.

The Arne Nixon Center is located on the first floor of the Henry Madden Library and opened in 2001 in honor of Nixon, who was a professor of children’s literature and storytelling at Fresno State for 30 years.

Nixon died in 1997 and willed his extensive collection of children’s literature, which contains 22,000 books, to the library, along with a financial donation for the center.

“We are a special collection within the library,” said Jennifer Crow, the library assistant in the Arne Nixon Center.

Crow said the purpose of the center is to help students and community members research information they need. She also said that because the books are mainly used for research, they are not circulated out of the center. Many of the books in the center are older special editions and some are signed by the authors because of Nixon’s friendship with them.

“Over $27,000 was contributed in sponsorships just for this event,” said Kellie Willis, the program coordinator.

The benefit was held in the 10-acre garden of Bill and Lise Van Beurden, which was transformed into a magical wonderland complete with rose gardens, a croquet game and signs throughout the gardens telling the story of Alice’s adventures.

“Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” read one of the signs with a picture of the White Rabbit holding his pocket watch.

The gardens were filled with the aroma of fresh flowers and striped “Mad Hatter” hats. Children dressed as Alice and the White Rabbit skipped along the green paths greeting people along with the Mad Hatter, the King and Queen of Hearts and her majesty’s deck of cards.

“It’s just a beautiful setting,” Willis said.

Refreshments were provided under a large canopy with tables dressed in yellow overflowing with teapots of all shapes and sizes. The Dew Drop Jazz Band performed live as guests strolled through the gardens enjoying the scenery.

A short program of thanks and appreciation was given, along with a speech by Fresno State president John Welty. He thanked all the people for their support and donations and spoke about plans for the new library after demolition begins in 2006.

“It is probably going to be one of the most magnificent structures in California,” Welty said.

Welty said the new library will not only be a national treasure, but an international treasure as well.

The program ended with a performance by a group of students from Bullard Talent who performed a musical piece called “Humpty Dumpty and the Dixie Chicks.”

“You may go,’ said the King, and the Hatter hurriedly left the court, without even waiting to put his shoes on,” said a sign on the way out.