Half Price Books gives away 5,000 books to schools, nonprofits
WAUWATOSA (WITI) -- For the past 26 years, Lisa Schmidman has been teaching children how to read.
"If I can instill the love of books and of reading in my students then I`ll know that I've been successful," says Schmidman.
For teachers like Schmidman, the 15th Annual Half Pint Library Book Drive and Giveaway event, hosted by Half Price Books, can make all the difference in the world.
"We had a book drive January through March of this year and our customers were kind enough to donate books that whole time. We matched those books and now we have a collection of 5,000 books that we`re giving away today," says Half Price Books District Training Coordinator Carolyn Beck.
Those 5,000 books went to schools and nonprofit organizations for free within an hour of the giveaway opening.
"Since we are a nonprofit preschool and daycare center, the books mean that we our children can share books with each other and they can have a lending library," says Mary Linsmeier Schools Director Liz Snyder.
The books range from pre-reading to teen novels.
Most children are overjoyed to receive this gift, since so many schools and nonprofits are facing budget cuts.
"For them it`s like a holiday. They open up the books and there are usually cheers in the classroom and they`ll sit for almost an hour and they`ll go through them and pass them in a circle, and they`ll look at them," says Schmidman.
Many educators say they hope this giveaway inspires a life-long passion for reading in the countless children impacted by this act of kindness.