Cannon Coin drive goes for books

In Cannon County currently, 44% of all children under five receive free books each month. Since the program began in Cannon County in 2005, nearly 36,824 books have been delivered to the county’s children and approximately 730 have “graduated” from the program after they reached age five. Due to this program, approximately 350 books per month are distributed to children under five in Cannon County.

The true cost of these books, plus the mailing, is approximately $24 per child per year. While the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation utilizes an annual state allocation to pay for half of this cost ($12), our county’s local affiliate, Melissa Teply, is responsible for raising funds to pay for the other half ($12).

This December is your opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of our kids! Introducing the 2013 Cannon County Imagination Library Coin Drive! Each day, beginning on December 2nd and ending on December 13th, every school will collect your change and donations. All funds collected will go directly to pay for books for the children of Cannon County.

We will collect the change and donations from each school on two Fridays, December 6th and December 13th. First National Bank will graciously allow us to use their coin machine for talling totals. Each school is competing against the other schools so every penny counts! The winning school will have their picture in the Cannon Courier!

If you own a business in town, you can put out a jar to compete with the schools. How exciting if the whole county came together, pulled our resources and provided the funds for our little ones to receive free books! Please contact Melissa Teply at (615) 556-4867, for further information.

If you have little ones under the age of five, go to imaginationlibrary.com, click on “register my child” at the top of the site, and follow the simple steps to register your child. Their journey to the exciting world of books will begin in 2 - 3 months after registration.

Start spreading the word! Pull out those coin jars! Help us introduce the love of reading to all of our little ones in Cannon County!