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Dave Obee: Thanks for supporting literacy work through book drive

With your help, the first steps have been taken in our annual drive to raise money for school libraries and literacy work. We collected thousands of books — as well as some cash donations — at the Victoria Curling Club on Sunday.
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Volunteers unload books from vehicles of donors on Sunday at the Victoria Curling Club. TIMES COLONIST

With your help, the first steps have been taken in our annual drive to raise money for school libraries and literacy work.

We collected thousands of books — as well as some cash donations — at the Victoria Curling Club on Sunday. Some of us from the Times Colonist greeted and thanked many of those who donated, but with a steady stream of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians, we could not talk to everyone.

To everyone who came out: Thank you. To all the volunteers, the people who give their time to make this work, thank you. All of you help to make our fundraising possible.

We hope to see all of you, and many more, again in the spring. We have high hopes that the risk of COVID-19 will have faded enough that we bring back the usual book drive and sale.

On Sunday, we collected enough books to fill about 50 pallets, with boxes stacked about two metres high. As soon as possible, those books will be counted, sorted and assessed by staff from Russell Books.

As part of the society’s deal with Russell, thousands of quality books are to be distributed in the community for free. In a matter of days, you will see some of those books in the little libraries in your neighbourhood.

Russell will pay the Times Colonist Literacy Society for the books. Last year, they gave us $30,000, which helped to kick-start our fundraising efforts.

By the time we finished in 2020, we had raised $125,000 for literacy — thanks to the generosity of you, our readers and supporters.

Every dollar we raise gets an added boost through a contribution from the provincial government, via Decoda Literacy Solutions on behalf of the Ministry of Education. The more we raise, the more we get from Decoda, and the more we can put to work in the community.

From 1998 through 2019, thanks to our book sales, other fundraising efforts and Decoda, we distributed $5 million to schools and literacy groups.

This year we would like to beat last year’s donation total, and yes, that’s a lofty goal. But we cannot forget that the need has not diminished during the pandemic.

Contributing to last year’s $125,000 total were 291 individual donations that ranged from $20 to $30,000, the latter coming from an anonymous donor. Everyone who donated has a commitment to literacy that will make a difference.

You can donate online, or mail cheques to the Times Colonist Literacy Society, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria V9A 6X5.

Thanks again for your support!

> Donate online at: canadahelps.org/en/dn/36542