Ten years ago, local leaders from the Great Start Collaborative and Parent Coalition had a novel idea: Collect gently used children’s books from the community and redistribute them for free to families in Charlevoix, Emmet, and northern Antrim counties. On Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, the collaborative will celebrate 10 years of sharing nearly 100,000 books around Northern Michigan.
“This project has been a success from the beginning, because of the simple concept of sharing books. The books are typically previously owned and gently used. We have a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who help manage drop sites and pick-up locations. And the community has embraced the idea, helping us keep it going and growing,” said Savanah Cool, director of the collaborative serving Charlevoix, Emmet and northern Antrim counties.
From 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 10, GSC staff will be on site at the Boyne City Farmers’ Market, Veteran’s Memorial Park, in Boyne City, to recognize the decade milestone. Join them for FreeCycle bingo, sweet treats, and take home free books. Collection bins will be on site for adding children’s book donations during the event.
“We could not have reached this milestone without the support from families, individuals, clubs, schools and businesses in our community,” said Crissy Napont, Great Start Collaborative Project Coordinator. “We look forward to the next 10 years, and the next 100,000 books!”
The FreeCycle Book Project is made possible through donations from families, individuals, schools, clubs, and businesses throughout the area. For questions about donating books and about the project, contact Liz Gee, (641) 455-3101 or email geee@charemisd.org
Char-Em ISD serves as the fiduciary for the Great Start Collaborative and provides program oversight. Financial donations to the FreeCycle project can be made by contacting Savanah Cool at (231) 373-2914 or cools@charemisd.org.
To find a complete list of donation and pick-up locations and to learn more about the FreeCycle Book Project, visit www.greatstartcollaborative.org. Look for the signature “This book is FREE!” logo that identifies books that are part of this project.
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