Durham-based Nonprofit, Book Harvest, Collects Record Number of Books

The Book Harvest "Dream Big" book collection is held each year. Source: bookharvestnc.org.
The Book Harvest "Dream Big" book collection is held each year. Source: bookharvestnc.org.

Book Harvest Shatters Records with 48,334 Books Collected for Sixth Annual “Dream Big” Book Drive

Book Harvest, a Durham-based nonprofit which provides books to Triangle children and families who need them, announced today that the 2017 Dream Big Book Drive collected 48,334 books that will help local children to grow up in book-rich homes in the year ahead.

Book Harvest held its annual Dream Big celebration on MLK Day at Durham Central Park, at which 300 volunteers and three dozen NC LiteracyCorps members joined forces to receive thousands of book donations and to sort and box the books. Several hundred others came to celebrate kids and literacy, enjoy live music, and participate in a variety of family activities. The festivities included remarks by emcee Tisha Powell of ABC-11 and a performance by the Bouncing Bulldogs.

Said Ann Leininger, Dream Big Chair:

“This outpouring of books will be transformative for thousands of young readers. These books will stock bookshelves throughout our community for months, helping more than 4,000 kids build home libraries.”

Added Book Harvest’s Executive Director Ginger Young:

“Every book donor who came out for Dream Big is making a powerful statement: that homes without books are not homes at all – and that we, working together, can help ensure that every child in our community is going to sleep each night with a stack of books at their bedside.”

This year’s Dream Big book tally surpassed the biggest Dream Big book count to date by more than 10,000 books, and it brings the total number of books raised in six years of Dream Big celebrations to more than 160,000. A total of 65 book drive captains signed up to run Dream Big book drives in their schools, workplaces, congregations, civic organizations, and neighborhoods.

Dream Big is led by a committee of more than a dozen volunteers, who also raised $62,261 in event sponsorship funds from 72 sponsors. This too broke records, bringing in more than double the amount of sponsorship dollars raised in 2016. Presenting sponsors included Duke University Libraries (for the third year in a row) and Johnson Lexus (which also ran a Dream Big book drive). Sdded Young:

“We are blown away by our community’s commitment to every child’s success. This year’s results surpassed our wildest expectations – and our work to equip children with books continues all year long.”

Those who participated in this record-breaking “Dream Big” book drive include:

  • AECOM
  • Agnihotri family
  • Bell Leadership Institute
  • Beth El Congregation
  • Blue Note Grill
  • Bobby’s Books
  • Bouncing Bulldogs
  • Brier Creek Orthodontics*
  • Carolina Friends School*
  • Carolina Hurricanes
  • Cedar Hills neighborhood
  • City of Durham Department of Community Development
  • Classical Conversations, South Durham
  • Cleveland Holloway neighborhood
  • Clifton and Mauney Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry*
  • Coastal Federal Credit Union*
  • Colony Park neighborhood
  • Cub Scout Pack 39
  • DMYF at Duke Memorial
  • Duke Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Duke Memorial PMO*
  • Duke Memorial Weekday School
  • Duke Office of IT
  • Duke University Federal Credit Union
  • Durham Catering Company*
  • Durham Community MLK Steering Committee*
  • Durham Technical Community College
  • Durrant and Hayes book drive
  • Falls of New Hope neighborhood
  • Fidelity Investments Desk Drive
  • Girl Scout Daisy Troop 4890
  • Girl Scout Troop 646
  • Guglhupf Bakery and Cafe
  • Hollow Rock Raquet and Swim Club
  • Holly Glen
  • Impact Pharma
  • Impact Pharmaceutical Services
  • Jewish Federation of Durham and Chapel Hill*
  • Johnson Lexus*
  • Kelli Autry and Girl Scout Service Unit 208
  • Lake Hogan Farms neighborhood
  • Larry’s Coffee
  • Laurel Hills Community
  • Marble Unlimited
  • Millennium Sports Club
  • Montessori Children’s House of Durham*
  • Neighbors on Call
  • North Durham Orthodontics*
  • Northwoods in Cary
  • Old North Durham neighborhood
  • Old North Durham neighborhood
  • Rapid Results Fitness
  • Russell Lacy Music*
  • Ryan Friends and Family
  • Schulz Friends and Family
  • Sr. Teens of the Durham Chapter of Jack and Jill
  • St. Stephens Episcopal Preschool
  • Stage Door Dance Productions
  • The Bausch Jones family
  • Trinity Park PORCH and George Watts Elementary
  • Trotter Ridge Neighborhood
  • Twig, Chapel Hill
  • Wake Radiology
  • West Glen neighborhood
  • Windsor Circle*

Participants marked with an asterisk * above supported the event as sponsors.

For individuals and businesses interested in helping with next year’s Dream Big Book Drive, that event is scheduled for MLK Day, Monday, January 15, 2018.

Groups planning to run book drives are encouraged to sign up at bookharvestnc.org/support/run-a-book-drive. Anyone wishing to donate books or run a book drive will find a book drive toolkit of collection bin signs, posters, and template language for emails and listservs on the Book Harvest website, www.bookharvestnc.org.

A nonprofit organization, Book Harvest provides books to Triangle children and families who need them. Children may select books, year round, at the locations listed at bookharvestnc.org/programs/community-book-bank.

Book Harvest logo.
Book Harvest logo.

Book Harvest serves Durham and Orange counties in North Carolina. Growing up in homes that are rich with books helps children start kindergarten ready to learn, combat summer learning loss once they are in school, and fall in love with reading. Book Harvest believes in the power of books to transform children’s lives. Since 2011, children have harvested more than 530,000 books to take home and keep for their very own, forever.

 

Ed. Note: Thank you to Daniele J. Berman and Ginger Young of Book Harvest for providing article details. Above edited by Kay Whatley, The Grey Area News.

TGA Banner Ad
About Kay Whatley 2309 Articles
Kay Whatley serves as Editor and Reporter with The Grey Area News. Kay is a published author with over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Kay Whatley is wife to Frank Whatley, founder of The Grey Area™ newspaper and The Grey Area News online news website.