'Sour Grapes of Wrath' murder mystery to benefit library

Who done it?

That is the question the audience will be asking during the murder mystery dinner theater hosted by the Friends of the Kimball Library on Saturday and Sunday at the Kimball Event Center. It starts at 6 p.m. each night.

A widow, failing at running a vineyard, receives six guests over the weekend, one of whom is her murderer.

Is it her family, her neighbor, or a stranger? Not even the volunteer actors know, according to Jamie Carpenter, president of the Friends of the Library.

“The audience has to figure out who did it by questioning the actors, finding out their alibi, what they were doing during the night and what they might have had against the owner,” Carpenter said. “It should be fun. Most of the actors decided they didn’t want to know who did it ahead of time, so they will be surprised on Friday night, too.”

Silent auction items will also be available and only 80 spaces are available for each night. Carpenter says 50 to 60 tickets have already been sold for each night.

A dinner will be served, with a choice of spaghetti or chicken alfredo, along with a salad, bread and dessert. There will also be a cash bar.

Tickets can be purchased at the door if the night is not sold out in advance, Carpenter said.

Proceeds from the event will go toward replacing the carpet in the library, which is around 20 years old, according to library director Jan Sears.

Approximately $13,000 of the necessary $20,000 has been raised and Sears said that the Howard and Peggy Atkins Donor Advised Fund will donate up to $3,000 if the library is able to raise $6,000.

“They put up $3,000, but it has to be matched two to one,” Sears said. “So we have to raise $6,000.”

The money to be matched cannot be raised through fundraisers, but instead must be donated by individuals.

Currently the library has raised $2,000 towards the matching fund for which the deadline is in September.

Sears hopes to be able to replace the carpet by the end of this year.

Other fundraisers for the carpet project include a 5K run on July 4, hosted by the Kimball Library board.

For more information for any fundraisers, to donate, or to purchase tickets in advance, contact the Kimball Public Library at 308-235-4523 or visit http://www.kimballpubliclibrary.org.