GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An annual Brown County book drive continues to make a difference in children’s lives.
The Friends of the Brown County Library and honorary literacy ambassador, Bre LaFleur, wife of Green Bay Packers head coach, Matt LaFleur, announced the launch of the 36th annual Give-A-Kid-A-Book campaign Wednesday.
The annual book drive invites individuals, families, businesses, churches, schools, clubs, and organizations to donate new, unwrapped books that will be given as gifts to local children, babies through age 18, of families in need.
Book distribution takes place in partnership with the Green Bay Salvation Army Holiday Assistance program in December.
“It’s awesome, this is what it’s all about, having this experience for these kids, having these resources, the passion that they have for reading is just phenomenal and I wish that we could have that for all our kids and I think that’s why this campaign is so important and we have all these resources to help kids go from liking it to loving reading, LaFleur said.
LaFleur says reading has always been a big part of her children’s lives but her kids were starting to look at is as more of a chore.
So to get her kids to love reading, she took them to public libraries and let them explore and pick out books that interested them. That’s when they began to not only enjoy reading but discussing what they learned as well.
LaFleur also suggests bringing those books to life. For example, she said her son was really interested in trains and so he read a few books on trains. Then she took him to the National Railroad Museum where he was able to see real trains and recall things he read about them.
To donate to the campaign, you can purchase books from the organization’s Amazon Wish List or from Lion’s Mouth Bookstore, 211 N. Washington Street in downtown Green Bay.
You can donate your Barnes & Noble purchases in-store during the Holiday Book Drive, Nov. 1 – Dec. 8. Use code 12799953 at the in-store Book Fair on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., or online Nov. 23-28, and a percentage of sales will benefit Give-A-Kid-A-Book. Online shoppers can ship books purchased directly to the library. Drop book donations in collection boxes located at Nicolet National Banks in the greater Green Bay area, all Brown County Libraries, and various other locations throughout the community through Dec. 10.
Financial donations will purchase additional books. Checks should be made payable to “Friends of the Brown County Library: GAKAB,” and mailed to 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, WI 54301-5194. Donate online at browncountylibraryfriends.org.
