We received too many books to even begin an official count, but a quick survey of the boxes on hand confirmed what I hadn't even dared to hope for: we broke the 1000 book ceiling, and then some. We had AT LEAST 1200 new books!
The hurdle crossed, it fell to us to worry about sufficient attendance. To that end, El Puente had volunteers positioned throughout the South Side handing out fliers and drumming up interest throughout the event on Saturday. All the while, two ACTUAL drummers, unexpectedly displaced from their usual rehearsal space at the Leadership Center, decided to play on the steps in front...quite literally drumming up more interest. By the time the doors opened at noon, we had attracted a throng of fifty or more parents and kids...and the pace kept up well through the first three hours of our four hour event.
Over the course of the day, we had well over 300 attendees browsing for books, chatting with each other, participating in one of two fantastic on-site workshops (one movement and performance workshop, one bookmaking workshop), eating refreshments, admiring the incredible art of beacon program participants. Councilwoman Diana Reyna even made an appearance with her kids, and I got to chat with her over a breakfast muffin.
Almost miraculously, the ratio of grateful attendees matched perfectly with the number of books on hand. Each and every kid got to take home between 2 and 3 high quality kids books...more to those lucky kids who won the book raffle we held every half hour. Those kids got to pick from a wide array of box sets, including complete series of Ramona Quimby, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Lemony Snicket, and Junie B. Jones.
Every aspect of the event -- the generosity of those who gave books or spread the word, the creativity of the kids who made the art adorning the walls, the ingenuity of the kids and El Puente staff who so beautifully set up the space, the dedication and high spirits of El Puente staff and volunteers who administered the event, and the gratitude and community and enjoyment of those kids and parents who attended -- was a tremendous success.
Here are just a few (sometimes blurry) photos of the event. I'll post more pics as they come in!
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