Wow! Here it is March 28 already. We have just two more days to take advantage of the March Goodness promotion. In case you haven’t heard about it, let me briefly tell you how it works.

We, the Freeborn County Historical Society, were one of 16 nonprofits selected to compete for grant money in the Midwest region. The contest is based on the number of donors, not the amount of money raised. So every donation counts, whether you make a $10 donation or a $1,000 donation. They are all important and will help us to have a chance at the prize money. The money will go toward our building expansion project.

To make a donation, you can log onto our web site at www.smig.net/fchm and then click on the link that is located there called www.marchgoodness.com and that will take you to our project page. Or you can go directly to www.razoo.com/p/mg-midwest and then click on Freeborn County Historical Society. Once you get to our project page, there will be a box that says donate. Click on the donate button and that will take you to the page to fill in your donation information. Please consider making a donation to help preserve the history of Freeborn County and its people and to help make the building expansion possible. Donations must be made through our project page in order to count for the contest. Please pass the word to others who may wish to contribute. Thank you in advance for your support.

April is going to be a very busy month at the museum as Discover History tours actually start this week and then the 11th-grade humanities classes will begin their research to prepare for their presentations to the fifth- graders that will take place on April 27-29. So, if you go by the museum most mornings in April you’ll see we are busy with students preparing for Discover History Days.

On Wednesday, April 14, we will have tour guide training at 2 p.m. If you have ever thought about being a tour guide, please give us a call or stop by to register for the training. Our school tours begin in May and we can always use additional tour guides.

On April 20, we will host a four-hour AARP defensive driving refresher class from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The cost is $19. You do not need to be a member of AARP or the museum to participate, but you must register. You may do so by calling (373-8003) or stopping by the museum, 1031 Bridge Ave. We are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (We will close at 4 p.m. on March 30 and 31.)

The FCHS annual meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 2, in the lower level of the museum. We invite all members to join us as we review the past year and unveil our plans for the future. If you have not paid your 2010 membership dues, please stop by the museum to pay them and we will give you our latest newsletter.

We are planning a library lock-in for Friday, May 21, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. The cost is $25 for members and $30 for non members. You must register for the class. Call for details soon as the class size is limited.

In June, we will be busy with Eddie Cochran Weekend and a special guest from Belgium, and a day camp for kids. We have a historical bus trip planned for July, a genealogical workshop, our Annual Echoes from the Past Journey into History, and special hours during the fair in August. In September, we have Autumn in the Village and October will bring a trip to Salt Lake City. Our Christmas Gathering will be held in December.

With Easter just a week away, do you have a special Easter memory that you haven’t shared with your children or grandchildren? If so, consider writing it down so they will have it to treasure for many years to come. You don’t have to write a long story — a couple paragraphs can tell a memory that they will enjoy and be able to pass on to the next generation.

Have a safe and happy Easter.

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum.