Local Editor to Donate Books to Bridge the Gap Supporters

Arlington resident Adam Pachter, an editor and devoted Red Sox fan, will donate one signed copy of his book "Further Fenway Fiction" to each of the next 100 people who donate $500 or more to the Arlington FY2011 School Gap Fund.

"As a parent, I know that one of the only things Arlington residents are more passionate about than the Sox is the quality of our schools," said Pachter whose daughter is a Kindergartner at Brackett Elementary School. "I also know that quality has been put at risk by the nearly $4 million budget gap our schools face. My daughter Lucy has greatly enjoyed her art, music, library, and P.E. classes, all of which are threatened by the current budget shortfall."

 The Fenway Fiction books were the first fiction anthologies about a sports team. The collections include short stories, poems, plays, and novel excerpts, which were all somehow touched by the Red Sox. In addition to the 100 books Pachter will donate, he will give a copy of the original Fenway Fiction (no longer available in stores) to 25 people who donate at least $1000.

After a little more than two weeks, the fund has risen to close to $175,000 and is growing everyday.

"I am so grateful to the many donors who have already stepped up and contributed to the Bridge the Gap fund," Pachter said. "If the fund's $1 million goal can be reached by June 7, many of the most devastating cuts will be averted."