Students, staff and parents at Wilson Elementary School have taken up the challenge to assist with the annual Newspapers in Education Book Sale sponsored annually by The Alpena News.
Since school resumed after the holidays, students in classrooms at the school have been asked to collect used books from home and bring them to the school for donation to the newspaper's sale. The classroom that collects the most books at the end of the collection period will be treated to a pizza party hosted by newspaper staff members.
The book sale is slated to take place Feb. 5 at the new APlex facility in conjunction with the newspaper-sponsored 2010 Business Expo. Hours for the sale are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Shoppers at last year’s Alpena News NIE Book Sale came away with plenty of bargains on books of all types. This year’s sale is set for Feb. 5 at the new APlex.
All proceeds from the sale benefit the NIE program, which currently provides daily newspapers free of charge to 15 different classrooms within the newspaper coverage area, including Wilson Elementary School.
"The NIE program puts newspapers in the hands of students in the area," said Ken Pokorzynski, circulation director at The Alpena News. "Teachers have been able to use the newspaper as a learning tool not only in reading but in current event discussions, weather forecasts and sports. The students are eager to read about the community and look for pictures and stories that may include friends or relatives."
Pokorzynski said The News is proud to promote literacy in the schools through reading of the newspaper. The NIE program has been in existence for the last 10 years. Currently more than 200 students are able to read the paper daily at school as a result of the program.
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Donations of good conditon used books, videos, DVDs or CDs may be left at the front office of The Alpena News, 130 Park Place, Monday-Friday during regular business hours.
The program receives funding support from local businesses, organizations and concerned citizens. The largest share of the funding comes through the NIE Book Sale held annually during the Business Expo. The sale continues to grow each year.
"The Book Sale has grown every year and we are always surprised to see how many books are donated each year by the public," Pokorzynski said. "Last year over 10,000 books were donated for the sale."
Along with the students at Wilson School, area residents also are encouraged to donate their good condition used books to the sale. To date, the newspaper has received hundreds of different books from generous people in the community. They span every category from romance novels and cookbooks to bestsellar hardbounds and children's books.
Anyone wanting to donate items to the sale may drop them off at the newspaper office located at 130 Park Place, across form the Alpena County Library, during regular business hours. The deadline for bringing in books is Jan. 28.
For more information about the upcoming book sale, call Pokorzynski or Lifestyles Editor Diane Speer at 354-3111.