ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — More than 30,000 free books will be up for grabs Sunday at an Asheville family literacy fair, but organizers are looking for some extra hands before the big giveaway begins.
Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe is seeking 60 to 80 volunteers to help prepare for the Reading Opens the World Family Literacy Fair and assist families during the event.
Volunteers are needed Thursday through Sunday. Organizers said people can sign up for a three-hour shift, a full day or multiple days. Individuals and groups are welcome, and children and teens may volunteer alongside an adult.
The fair will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Martin L. Nesbitt Jr. Discovery Academy, 175 Bingham Road.
The American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of Professional Educators in North Carolina and Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe are organizing the event. More than 30,000 books and other reading resources will be distributed to children, families and educators. Organizers said the event is aimed particularly at students, families and educators in Title I communities.
AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFPENC President Joanna Loftis are expected to attend. A speaking program is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.
The giveaway is part of AFT’s “Reading Opens the World” campaign, a national literacy initiative conducted in partnership with First Book. The program provides books for children and families to build home libraries and for educators and school staff to add to classroom collections.
Sunday’s fair also falls on the second anniversary of Tropical Storm Helene, which brought catastrophic flooding and widespread destruction to Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024.
Organizers said the timing is intended to recognize the work students, families, educators, schools and community organizations have done over the past two years to restore routines and learning opportunities after the storm.
Along with free books, the fair will feature free food, music, games and family activities. A Halloween costume swap is planned, and hundreds of LEGO brick boxes will be given away while supplies last.
Groups interested in volunteering together can contact Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe at events@r2sasheville.org.