Dr. W.A. MacLeod Consolidated School was the recipient of a $5,000 donation of Indigo eGiftcards to support its library.
“It was a huge surprise,” said the school librarian.
Nielsen said it felt like Christmas arrived early when staff from the New Glasgow Coles bookstore made the presentation. “We have an ever-growing wish list filled with requests students and staff make. This enormous boost to our budget allows us to fill those requests. What an amazing gift for our school and what a way to support literacy! We are filled with gratitude.”
She said bookstore staff also presented the Riverton school with a copy of their own favourite childhood reads. “It's quite a collection, with many of the titles favourites among our staff and students as well!”
Earlier this school year, Dr. W.A. MacLeod entered the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Adopt a School contest, which involved online voting and people making donations to help win a prize of $10,000 worth of books. While the school didn’t win the contest, Nielsen said by participating, the library received $2,400 worth of books through donations made online and at the Coles store in the Highland Square Mall.
“Canadians are so very generous that the Love of Reading Foundation raised so much money this year that we had a little extra,” said Coles manager Lynne Davey.
“We were so excited to tell them,” she said. “It was a lot of fun, and I know the difference it will make for the kids.”
School libraries have suffered from cutbacks in recent years, and Nielsen got involved with the Adopt a School program to make more books available to students and help inspire a lifelong love of reading.
“I know how important literacy and reading is to kids,” said Davey. “Libraries should be the heart of the school. Literacy affects every other subject. There’s not enough funding for libraries, and we want to help with that because literacy is important.”
This year’s Adopt a School program raised more than 79,639 books for more than 530 elementary schools across Canada.
On Twitter: @NGNewsCarol
