White Plains PTA Council Gives Away 10,000 Books to Students

The White Plains PTA Council hosted its 2nd Annual Free Book Celebration this weekend.  Over the course of two days, May 2 & 3, the PTA gave away an estimated ten thousand books to students in the White Plains School District. 

At the White Plains High School “mini” celebration on Friday, two thousand books were distributed in one hour.  “All the SAT prep books disappeared in eight minutes,” said Caroline Furry, the main organizer of the event.  She added, “The students couldn't have been more appreciative.”

Cardon Furry, WPHS Class of 2016 co-president and student representative on the PTA Book Committee, secured donations from The College Board, The Princeton Review, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  Cardon Furry stated “These book sponsors made it possible for us to offer a wider selection of books, which allowed us to effectively support our middle and high school students.”

The larger community event, held the next day, was as much a success. Local dignitaries, including Mayor Tom Roach, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, State Assemblyman David Buchwald, and County Legislator Ben Boykin, pitched in and helped the PTA distribute the remaining eight thousand books to over 900 people.

State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, who serves on the State Assembly Committee on Education, said at the event, “Reading is at the core of everything we do.   It opens doors.  It allows us to learn and plan for the future.  When a community embraces reading, they demonstrate to our children how important it is to us all.  The White Plains PTA Council should be applauded for their efforts.”

Further information is available online at http://www.facebook.com/WhitePlainsPTAFreeBookCelebration