KidLitCon Fundraiser for RIF Reaches $1000
August 24, 2011
As I wrote last week, KidLitCon is partnering with Reading is Fundamental this year. The idea is for our community, full of people passionate about children's books and literacy, to help RIF raise funds to put books into children's hands.
Today I am thrilled to report that the KidLItCon fund at RIF stands at $1056. That number represents a host of bloggers, authors, teachers, librarians, and parents reaching into their pockets to help RIF help kids. What a beautiful thing!
Making the whole thing even nicer, RIF CEO Carol Rasco shared (in the second comment on this post at Kidlitosphere Central) that a number of people have made their donations in honor of others. Here's the list so far. All honor gifts but the first one have been given anonymously. The gifts are listed in order of receipt.
IN HONOR OF Colleen Mondor and Jackie Parker for your generosity in putting this partnership in motion by the RIF National Staff.
IN HONOR OF the Kidlitosphere members who encourage us and help us move our books into the hands of readers and create stronger readers by Authors and Illustrators.
IN HONOR OF Jen Robinson who is the most dedicated person to Kid Lit I know who isn't in the field by training but by love of kid lit by an appreciative teacher.
IN HONOR OF Betsy Bird who starts my morning off better than anything ever has by an appreciative reader.
IN HONOR OF MotherReader for the fabulous 48 Hour Reading Challenge and serving as co-leader of The Comment Challenge.
IN HONOR OF Liz Burns who keeps us all honest!
IN HONOR OF Jen, Terry and Carol for those Reading Roundups by a harried blogger.
IN HONOR OF Greg Pincus who is always so welcoming to new bloggers like me who feel dumb by a new blogger!
How cool is that? I swear, even if I wasn't mentioned myself, I would just LOVE this list. Because it speaks so eloquently of the Kidlitosphere as a community. A true, connected community, in which people appreciate one another. Did you see that RIF staff members donated to the fund, too? There's a vote of confidence in us all, and especially in Colleen and Jackie.
I am humbled and honored by the words of both "an appreciative teacher" and "a harried blogger". People donated money to RIF, in honor of me. My childhood self is thrilled, and my adult self is touched and grateful. Something that I'm doing here at this blog is working.
But really, I love all of the dedications. I wish that I had thought to dedicate my donation. Is it too late to retroactively dedicate my RIF KidLitCon donation? I'd like my donation to be in honor of the people who took me from being an industrial engineer who liked to read children's books in her spare time and made me part of an amazing community. To the Kidlitosphere! And to Baby Bookworm, who shows me the joy of early literacy every day.
RIF and KidLitCon. Two great things, even better together. Have you donated?