Ferst Readers of Henry County is presenting an online campaign called “Beards for Books” to raise money to buy books for local preschool children.
Ferst Readers registers children, who receive in the mail an age-appropriate book each month, up to their fifth birthday. The program is designed to encourage parents to read to their children and have them ready to enter kindergarten with a love for learning in place. Currently, 1800 Henry County preschoolers receive a book each month through Ferst Readers.
“Our local chapter has had to get creative with fundraising because of pandemic conditions the past year,” says Doris Griffin, chair of the Henry County chapter. “We had to cancel our spring luncheon last year and we are being cautious about resuming any big events this year. In addition, individual schools in our system have been unable to hold many of the fundraisers that they usually host.
“Because a number of men have grown their beards during the pandemic, we are featuring photos of nine volunteers on our Facebook and Instagram pages,” she says. “We encourage donors to vote for one or more favorites with a $10 donation per vote.”
Bearded participants include Brian Strickland, Joseph Henning, Jason Paggett, Johnny Rucker, Todd Craig, Rodney Bowler, Martin Griffin, JD Hardin, and Nick Craig. They represent government, local businesses, and the Henry County School system. Several of the participants are issuing challenges regarding when they will shave, depending upon the amount of money raised. Many are vowing to match the amount raised as to $100 or more.
“We want to send books to every eligible child in Henry County, but the reduction in our funds has meant that we have only been able to add a limited number of babies born in 2020 to our mailing list,” Mrs. Griffin says. “There are about 350 babies and toddlers waiting to be registered so they will begin receiving their books. It costs $36 per year to send books to a child, so community support is key to our mission. We would love for the community to support these bearded community leaders in this effort.”
Details on the program’s operation are on Facebook @ferstreadersofhenrycounty at https://www.ferstreadershenry.org.
