The money includes $100,000 to the new Macon County Public Library building fund with a pledge of $100,000 more if it is matched by other donations within the next two years.

Friends President Roberta Swank said that the total so far raised for the new library stands at $654,939. That money includes donations and pledges from 172 individuals, businesses, governments, community groups and charitable foundations. The new public library should be completed by late 2006 with the formal opening probably in early 2007.

“When the library board decided to put the fund-raising drive into the Friends hands, we decided the best thing to do was to just stand back out of the way,” said Randolph Bulgin, chairman of the Macon County Public Library Board. “I’m proud of being part of a community that has raised this much money in such a relatively short period of time.”

The Janirve pledge puts the fund-raising at nearly half of its $1.5 million goal which should furnish the county’s $4-million building that is now under construction.