Rotary Club of Wilmette Collects 20,000 Books

Capping another successful campaign, The Rotary Club of Wilmette collected 20,000 books to help inner-city students perform better and love reading. Over 14 years, Rotary delivered nearly 125,000 books to grateful Chicago students.

The Rotary Club of Wilmette’s Big Book Drive collects thousands of children’s, library and reference books from schools and libraries every year and the club gratefully thanks them. Books come from McKenzie, Romona, Harper and Central Schools, Highcrest, Wilmette Junior High and Marie Murphy School – all in Wilmette -- and St. Joseph and St. Athanasius Catholic schools. Participating high schools are New Trier, Regina Dominican and Loyola Academy. Generous book donations also come from public libraries in Wilmette, Skokie, Niles, Glenview, Skokie and Winnetka/Northfield. Office Depot on Green Bay Road donated 500 new bank-box cartons.

All books were just donated to Catalyst Charter Schools K-12 in Chicago’s Marquette Park neighborhood. They enroll 1,600 students and make literacy their main priority with reading scores steadily improving because of heavy instruction and tutoring.

Rotary Book Drive Chair Maurice Sullivan says: “Our Big Book Drive helps inner-city schools advance reading and helps their students perform better, gain reading levels, stay in school and aim for college.”

The Rotary Club of Wilmette is 93 years old and meets noon Wednesdays at McCormick & Schmick’s Restaurant in Old Orchard. For information, check www.wilmetterotary.org or Facebook: Rotary Club of Wilmette.

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Photo Caption: Rotary Club of Wilmette members and Catalyst school volunteers moved 500 cartons with 20,000 children’s books onto trucks for a trip to the Marquette Park facility. Pictured (from left) are Rotary members and friends Maurice Sullivan, Arnie Klein, Jack Flynn, Jean Peters, Nick Dallas and Kent Meyers. On the right is Catalyst Head Librarian Cathy Donahue.

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