Mortar Board Virtual Book Drive was a success
The second annual Virtual Book Drive, held in conjunction with national nonprofit First Book, successfully raised $25,478.85 to contribute to the battle against illiteracy. In full, 56 chapters participated in this fundraising challenge.
Overlapping with Mortar Board's national project, "Reading is Leading," the Virtual Book Drive allows Mortar Board chapters, alumni and friends to join forces to provide children from low-income backgrounds with their very first brand-new book. Last year, 46 chapters raised $25,586.24 for the Virtual Book Drive.
The chapters who raised the most in 2009 are as follows:
- Hope College - raised $8,535.38
- Kansas State University - raised $3,060.04
- Western New England College - raised $2,157.00
Honorable mentions (listed in alphabetical order):
- Case Western Reserve University
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- University of Montana
- University of Northern Colorado
- Seattle Pacific University
Hope College not only received the top award for the overall chapter challenge and supported Pine Creek Elementary School, but received each monthly top donor award during the drive for August, September, October and November, resulting in an additional $400 in Borders gift cards to support a second recipient, CASA (Children’s After School Achievement).
Illiteracy is linked to nearly every major socioeconomic crisis today. Children who cannot read are statistically more likely as adults to suffer poor health, struggle in the job market, rely on government assistance, and find themselves in the criminal justice system. Since 2002, Mortar Board has made a national commitment to combat illiteracy with the "Reading is Leading" initiative.
