Jan. 3, 2024, Durham, NC – Book Harvest will host its 13th annual Dream Big Book Drive and Community Celebration on the afternoon of Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 15 – from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the historic Golden Belt Campus in Durham.
Book Harvest’s Dream Big Book Drive honors the legacy of Dr. King, whose invocation to serve continues to inspire and galvanize the community. This annual event invites everyone to help all children realize their big dreams by ensuring they have an abundance of books to spark their imaginations and build their brains. Watch the 2024 promotional video here; view photos here.
Community members are invited to bring donations of new and gently used children’s books (for ages 0-18) to the Dream Big event on January 15; a drive-through option to drop off books will be available. Donated books will be available to families in Durham and beyond through Book Harvest’s many programs, which provide books and literacy support to children starting at birth.
Everyone can enjoy a celebratory afternoon of events and entertainment, both indoors and outdoors. Families can meet beloved Durham Bull mascot, Wool E. Bull, from 1:00-2:00 p.m., watch the Bouncing Bulldogs jump rope show at 1:30 p.m. and join the Paperhand Puppet Intervention parade at 2:30 p.m.
Dream Big will also feature complimentary popcorn from Mad Popper, free hot chocolate from B3, free poems written in real time by the Poetry Fox, crafts and activities courtesy of outstanding community partners including the Durham Museum of Life and Science, and more!
All guests will also enjoy free children’s books to take home and keep forever.
“The Dream Big Book Drive & Community Celebration is an expansive and cherished book drive that occurs between December and January, culminating in a communitywide celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day,” said Tabitha Blackwell, Executive Director of Book Harvest Durham. “Community members gather en masse to celebrate the joy of reading and help us realize our big dream that one day, every child will grow up with a love of books, reading and learning, equipped with the language and literacy tools to thrive in school, work, and life.”
To date, more than 37 book drive captains throughout the Triangle have signed up to run Dream Big book drives in their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, congregations, and civic groups. Volunteers across the country are also leading online book drives, in which participants make purchases from Book Harvest's online wishlist through The Regulator Bookshop. Learn more at bookharvest.org/dreambig.
Book Harvest’s 2024 Dream Big Book Drive already has 43 sponsors, including ‘Lead’ sponsors Hendrick Subaru Southpoint, The Forest at Duke, Mebane Charitable Foundation, and Written Word Media; and ‘Aspire’ sponsors Pinnacle Financial Partners, Golden Belt Campus, Wyrick Robbins, Triangle Media, Boston Consulting Group, and Comerica. See the full list here.
About Book Harvest:
Book Harvest is internationally recognized for its work to transform children's literacy. Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided over two million books to families in North Carolina, ensuring that parents have the tools and power to ignite and strengthen their children's literacy. With programs that are grounded in evidence, Book Harvest believes that literacy starts at birth, in the home, powered by parents, and nourished with books. Learn more at bookharvest.org.
Contact: Benay Hicks, Chief External Relations Officer
857-225-5039
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