Once again, the Rotary Clubs of Kingston brought a little holiday cheer to thousands of children. Our annual book distribution occurred between Nov. 23, 2021 and Nov. 25, 2021, thanks to our volunteers and partners. It was an overwhelming success.
Each year they donate 1,000’s of new books to families in low-income neighborhoods. The results of these efforts are significant. Children report greater self-esteem, are more engaged in reading and close the achievement gap in their classrooms.
Our event would normally take place in one of our north-end schools, but the pandemic prevented Rotarians from having access to this site. Fortunately, Rotarian Bernie Robinson provided some available space in his new building at the corner of Gardiner’s Rd and Cataraqui Woods Dr. We reached out to teachers through the Limestone District School Board and to many other local organizations who are focused on children’s reading programs. Teachers and program leaders then registered to receive books through the First Book Canada site and selected a time and day to collect the books.
While that was happening, 40 Rotarian volunteers and friends received the 12 large pallets of books over two days. In total, there were over 17,000 books from publishers like Firefly, Disney and Penguin/Random House.
Rotarians sorting First Book Canada books
It was a monumental effort to unpack the boxes and organize tables by grade/age. Once this was done, the volunteers put together the teacher orders so that each person would receive at least 350 books.
Rotarians loading First Book Canada books for distribution
One of the teachers participating in the program said: “These books will bring so much joy to our students. Thank you so much for making this happen.” It is so special to hear these words and know that this event is making such a difference in the lives of so many children. It would not happen without the collaborative efforts of all of the Kingston Rotary clubs and our community partners. We are already looking forward to next years distribution.