Literacy Alberni has received a record donation from the annual Raise a Reader campaign, held last September.
Once a matching government grant was applied to its fundraising, Literacy Alberni raised $133,564.
The total put the Port Alberni organization third in the province for fundraising behind Vancouver and Victoria.
“For Literacy Alberni Society (LAS), it’s really humbling to see how well we are supported in this community,” board chair Pam Craig said.
“Businesses and individuals come forward every year. As a result, this is the flagship of all the years we’ve been doing it, and this is our 10th year,” she said.
“To raise that kind of money in the size of the community we live in is extraordinary.”
Money raised through Raise a Reader goes toward family-oriented programs at LAS; this year that will be rejuvenating the Parents As Literacy Supporters (PALS) program as well as the little libraries.
This is the second full year that Black Press has sponsored Raise a Reader in the Alberni Valley. “The Alberni Valley News is so pleased to be a part of the Raise a Reader program,” publisher Teresa Bird said.
“We know strong literacy among the people of the Valley is vital to the future success of our community both socially and economically and we want to be part of supporting that success.”
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