WB_082219

wilmettebeacon.com NEWS
the wilmette beacon | August 22, 2019 | 11
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 5 days ago
New Trier Township collects
over 9,000 books during drive
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
New Trier Township
reported that a recordbreaking
9,000 books were
collected during its fourth
annual Bernie’s Book Bank
Drive, which ran from July
9 through Aug. 9.
Jack Macholl, Township
communications director
and brainchild behind the
initiative, said the 2019
drive was the most successful
ever, crediting the community
for their generosity.
“This year we saw an
enormous ramp up in donations.
Along with the Village
of Glencoe and Winnetka
Presbyterian Church,
we added another collection
partner — Valerie Wilson
Travel of Winnetka.
“Overall, there was
something different this
year; the community really
rallied behind this cause. I
fielded phone calls, emails
and social media messages
from residents throughout
the Township eager to help.
This was a tremendous
bonding experience for our
communities.”
Along with the addition
of new donation centers,
Macholl credits local youth
for their altruistic actions
too. For example, Winnetka’s
Jack Rosenthal, of Boy
Scout Troop 20, hosted a
pop-up drive at Dwyer Park,
collecting 610 books. The
Happy Helpers — a Wilmette-based
youth service
group — also hosted a popup
collection at Vattmann
Park, handing out lemonade
and lollipops in exchange for
the 716 books they collected.
Charlotte Yager-Madden,
a 10-year-old member
of the Happy Helpers, has
participated in the drive for
Wilmette’s Happy Helpers (left to right, back row) Sam
Swain, Will Swain, Jasmine Kelso, Sophia Burnell, Lilly
Lipford; (front row) Jackson Burnell, Spencer Burnell,
Katie Kelly, Kate Swain, Teagan Carleton, Natalie
Burnell, Charlotte Yager-Madden, meet up at Vattmann
Park. Alexa Burnell/22nd Century Media
two years now, explaining
how the initiative has positively
impacted her.
“I chose to be part of the
Happy Helpers drive because
collecting all these
books helps families who
may not be able to buy
their own,” Yager-Madden
said.”We also had a lot
of fun telling people who
stopped buy about what
we were doing. It’s very rewarding
to help others.”
Trustee Gail Eisenberg
used the book drive as yet
another way to teach her
young children, Julia, 6,
and Hunter, 3, about the
value of giving to others.
“I saw the book drive
as a perfect way to get my
children involved in the
service work we do at the
Township,” Eisenberg said.
“I hope my kids learned
that even at a young age,
they play an important
role in making the world
a better place. After our
pop-up book drive, we enlisted
the help of several
of my daughter’s Daisy
Scout friends from Central,
McKenzie and Romona
elementary schools. These
young ladies helped unload
our car full of books to the
Township offices.”
Along with the pride of
hosting a successful drive,
he said the joy of watching
residents unite over the act
of giving children the gift
of literacy, was priceless.
“When I learned of Bernie’s
Book Bank in 2016, I
was drawn to their mission of
reading readiness for at-risk
children,” Macholl said. “As
a parent, is was unconscionable
that a child would not
own any books. Signing the
Township on as a collection
point was not a tough sell;
the board was all-in. Since
our first summer collection
four years ago, the residents
and business owners have
been amazingly generous
with contributions.”
He adds that due to the
popularity of the event, the
offices are now a year-round
collection point, so pop in
to 739 Elm during regular
business office hours
to drop-off new and gently
used books for children
ages birth to sixth-grade.
65TH ANNUAL 2019
join us labor day weekend!
annual juried fine art show
sunday -monday september 1-2
10 a.m. -5p.m.
Market Square Lake Forest, Illinois deerpathartleague.org
FREE Admission Open to the Public
Artwork: Josh Merrill