Bingo Book Benefit

By Alice Roche Cody

It had all the trappings of a great spring break fundraiser – Bingo, books, and sweet treats!

To celebrate Read Across American Week, Lower School students left for vacation armed with custom Bingo boards geared to encourage reading, with the promise of prizes for completing any five fun activities. Then Lower School Librarian Lia Carruthers kicked things up a notch by inviting families to donate much-needed books to the South Seventeenth Street School in Newark for an added bonus.

"We donated 84 books to the South Seventeenth Street School, and I cannot tell you how much this means to their teachers," said Ms. Carruthers. "They don’t have a school librarian, so many teachers keep libraries in their classrooms. These books go directly to their classrooms so teachers can create reading circles with their students. Thank you to the families who contributed!"

For the fundraiser, teachers from the South Seventeenth Street School shared with Ms. Carruthers their desired book list, and she created an Amazon wish list for Gill St. Bernard's families to select titles for purchase. Ms. Carruthers awarded all who contributed with cupcakes from Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe in Chester.  

As for Bingo, 22 LS students participated, engaging in fun tasks such as read to an animal, borrow a book from the library, or make a recipe from a cookbook. Special prizes for completing five activities included a book bag, a bookmark, an ice cream cone pencil, and reading certificates.

Impressed by her students' enthusiasm, Ms. Carruthers offered her heartfelt gratitude: "My sincerest thanks to those of you who donated to the South Seventeenth Street School. This school means so much to me. Thank you for your excitement and support. It takes a village to run a bingo game and a fundraiser!"