Books For Kids - Erie | Newsletter | Vol 13 No 2 Spring 2003


	Books For Kids, Erie Chapter

Volume 15 No. 3 Summer 2005	An affiliate of The Books For Kids Foundation, New York, NY
Kickball Benefits Books for Kids
Board Members President Dean Baldwin, Ph.D. Vice-President Atty. Chris Kovsky Secretary Juan Fernandez, Ph.D. Treasurer Bob Monahan, CPA Members Kathleen Cantrell Mary Connerty Shantel Hilliard Donna Gloekler Jane Levin Mary Jo Melvin, Ph.D. Patty Puline Florence Smith Joy Sweeting Jim Voss, CPA Webmaster Frank Singer		Fun for Literacy On Saturday, August 13, dozens of Young Erie Professionals gathered at Scott Park in Erie for some serious fun and the opportunity to benefit Books for Kids and three other local charities. The game these twenty and thirty-somethings played is the same one many of us remember from the school playground - a game of baseball played with a large rubber ball and kicked, not hit with a bat. There is, believe it or not, a National Kickball Assoc., which specifies the rules of the game, one of which is that each team must have at least four women. In this tournament, preliminary games were two innings long, semi-final games three innings, and the championship game four. Each player raised or donated at least $30 as an entry fee, and the total amount raised was about $2,800. This will be divided equally among the four charities, so Books for Kids should realize about $700 from the event. Books for Kids' board members Joy Sweeting and Dean Baldwin helped out during the event by registering participants. (See photo next page.) Books for Kids is very grateful	to the Young Erie Professionals organization and to everyone who participated in this high-energy event. Time for GE Supporters to Renew Last year, GE employees, retirees, and spouses contributed $1,510 to Books for Kids and had their gifts matched by the GE Foundation for a total of $3,020. We hope to equal or exceed this total in 2005 by reminding all those who are eligible to renew their commitment to Books for Kids by once again donating at least $25 and then asking GE to match their donations. How to Contribute If you are a current GE employee, a GE retiree, or the widow or widower of a former GE employee, your contribution of at least $25 can be matched by the GE Foundation. After dontaing to Books for Kids, call GE at 1-800-305-0669 or go on line at www.gefoundation.org and click on the "Matching Gifts" button. In either case, you will have to provide the employee's Social Security number and the Zip Code of Books for Kids (16508). At least 10 donations totaling $1,000 are required.
Books for Kids, Erie Chapter P.O. Box 3059 Erie, PA 16508 (814) 898-6214 ________



Joy Sweeting at the Reservation Table	Winner, K-Grade 4

Winner, Grades 5-8	Winner, Grades 9-12
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Harry Potter Art Contest And Raffle The sixth volume in the Harry Potter series was released on June 13, and to help celebrate the occasion, Books for Kids held an art contest and raffle. Students from K through 12 entered their versions of a cover design for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and everyone was invited to buy a chance to win either a Harry Potter stand up poster of a copy of the book. Winners were chosen by a vote of Erie Book Store patrons. Winners of the Raffle were Ellen Hortleb and Anna Lindell. Winning cover designs were submitted by Christian Pialet (grades 1-4), Modeline Jobczynski (5-8), and Matthew Terres (9-12). Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to all who participated, contributed, or bought tickets! New Board Member Books for Kids is pleased to welcome Mary Connerty as its newest board member. Mary teaches English at Behrend College and is working on her Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of Birmingham in England. Mary's husband, Frank Singer, is a musician and music teacher, and has agreed to be our Web master. Since Frank teaches when the board meets, he and Mary form our only "tag-team" board members. Welcome to them both!	Books for Kids' Website Books for Kids has had a web site for some time, but when our web master, Kristen Dressler, left town to attend Penn State, we had no one to keep it current. Now, with Frank Singer's hard work, it has been updated and is ready for viewing again. Visitors can read new and old newsletters, read about our mission, download our application, and even donate on line with the secure Pay Pal system. Visit us at www.booksforkids-erie.org. New and Renewing Members Books for Kids is pleased to honor all who have donated since our last newsletter. Major Contributors $250+ Eriez Manufacturing Greene Township Lioness Club Benefactors $100+ Martha Hilbert Waterford Lioness Club Patrons $50+ Democratic Woman's Council St. Luke Food Pantry Sponsors $25+ Neil and Patricia Milligan South End Beneficial Assoc. Friends $10+ Elbert & Helen Friend Judy Newlin	We're Doing Well, But... Books for Kids was founded 15 years ago this Fall, and since then we've given away some 150,000 new books to Erie County's needy children and youth. We believe we have served a vital purpose in our community and have helped many children discover the joy of reading and of owning their own books. Our hard-working board deserves a lot of credit, but no one more than those individuals, companies, businesses, and foundations that support us. We thank everyone, past and present, who has supported us. Now, more than ever, we need your continued support. Please tell your friends and neighbors about us. Renew your membership promptly. Inform us of a changed address. Suggest us as a recipient of memorial gifts. We spend your money wisely: over 90% goes to buy books, the rest for direct program costs. We have no paid staff. Keep literacy alive in Erie! Support Books for Kids. THANKS!
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WON'T YOU PLEASE HELP US?

Please use this coupon to lend us your support. The children and youth of Erie County will thank you.
[Has your membership expired? The date on the mailing label indicates your last donation.]

____ Major Donor $250+

____ Benefactor $100+

____ Patron $50+

____ Sponsor $25+

____ Friend $10+

Mail the completed form and check payable to "Books for Kids, Erie Chapter," P.O. Box 3059 Erie, PA 16508.

Donations to Books for Kids are tax deductible for those who itemize.

Kickball Benefits Books for Kids