Annual tea fundraiser for Monroeville library draws nearly 170 fans of fairy tales

Angelina Jones TribLive Fri, Jun 26, 2026 • 11:55 AM

Snow White, aka Penny Morse of Monroeville, poses with her crew of “dwarves” — (from left) Janet Bowland of Monroeville as Happy, Rayetta Walters of Monroeville as Sleepy, Rebecca Elms of Monroeville as Bashful, Jodi Smith of Monroeville as Grumpy, Lisa Elms of Monroeville as Sneezy, Beth Thompson of Forest Hills as Dopey and Marian Kopp of Monroeville as Doc — during the fairy tale-themed tea fundraiser on June 7 benefiting Monroeville Public Library. (Lida Wos | For TribLive)

Monroeville Public Library’s fifth annual tea fundraiser on June 7 brought together fairy-tale enthusiasts, volunteers and library supporters for an afternoon of costumes, crafts and community.

Held at the Lourdes Center at Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish in Monroeville, the event attracted just under 170 attendees, according to Alice Rathjen, the library’s head of public relations.

“The event went extremely well,” she said. “Everybody was talking about how wonderful it was.”

Guests embraced the fairy-tale theme by decorating tables, creating costumes and participating in activities throughout the afternoon. The event featured catered food, raffles, a 50-50 drawing, crafts, trivia and a sprawling cookie table filled with homemade treats inspired by fairy tales and storybook characters.

One of the fundraiser’s signature traditions is its themed table competition. Participants vote on the following year’s theme and spend months preparing decorations and costumes to match.

“You can feel the excitement going on during the year,” Rathjen said. “People look forward to it so much.”

The tea has grown steadily since its launch five years ago. In recent years, organizers have moved the event to the Lourdes Center to accommodate larger crowds.

“We’ve been going there because the event is growing, and that space works out perfectly for us,” Rathjen said.

Planning and operating the fundraiser requires a collaborative effort between library staff and volunteers. Staff members coordinate ticket sales, catering, logistics and programming, while volunteer table hostesses create themed displays and help foster the event’s festive atmosphere.

“It takes a lot of staff and volunteers to do this,” Rathjen said. “We’re certainly very happy to have everybody’s support.”

While final fundraising totals were not available at press time, proceeds from the event benefit the Monroeville Public Library and help support its services and programming.

Rathjen said the fundraiser also gives residents an opportunity to connect with the library in a different way.

“It’s not just coming for books or programs,” she said. “People get to see how much we try to bring a wonderful event to the community.”

The tea has become a highly anticipated annual tradition for many attendees, with participants already discussing next year’s event before this year’s gathering ended.

“The community is a big supporter of it,” Rathjen said. “The attendees, staff and volunteers all look forward to the event and continue to look forward to the next year.”