WAKE Up and Read Kicks off Book Drive

When 67% of children from low income families do not have books at home, they are at risk for significant summer learning loss, which can negatively affect the rest of their school experiences. Children need access to books, so every year the Wake County community comes together to participate in the WAKE Up and Read book drive. Through this book drive, every child at 10 high-need elementary schools and 20 childcare centers is able to take home 10 books for his or her home library.

WakeEd is proud to serve on the leadership team for this community-wide collaborative and act as the fiscal sponsor for the book drive. In 2016, we exceeded our goal, collecting 114,025 books for 7,100 Wake County children. For volunteers, the distribution process is a joyful experience, as many children get to pick their very first set of 10 books.

On Saturday, January 21^st, WAKE Up and Read launched the annual book drive at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, with the goal of collecting more than 100,000 books by March 4^th. North Carolina First Lady Kristin Cooper attended and was able to share some of her favorite stories in a special story time event. Attendees were greeted by Ruben, the WAKE Up and Read Rooster, as well as several Disney Princesses who made an appearance at the launch.

It is easy to get involved or donate! There are 100 collection sites across Wake County, ready to accept your donations of new and gently used books for children from birth through age 12. Click here to find a location near you.

Learn more about Wake Up and Read on their website.

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