Book ‘Em promotes literacy, crime prevention
Story by Faryal ZubairFast-paced. On the go. Stressful. That’s life in the 21st century. We lack the time to do things that were once so important to us. For example, when was the last time you were able to pick up a book and read it cover to cover?
It might sound like a luxury in this day and age, but that’s exactly what Mark Kearney, a Waynesboro police officer and president of the nonprofit Book ‘Em Foundation, wants you to do.
The annual book festival will mark its fifth year this coming Oct. 18 at a new venue, Kate Collins Middle School in Waynesboro. The event routinely draws top names from the literary world - including New York Times bestselling authors Ellen Hopkins, Catherine Coulter and Cathy Maxwell - to the River City to promote literacy as a means of fighting crime at its roots.
“If we buy books, promote reading, help fund Book ‘Em, we can help reduce the amount of criminals out there,” said Kearney, whose goals are not just local, but nationwide.
“If we could have it here, why not everywhere?” Kearney said. And the Book ‘Em mission is gaining a foothold in new locations. Lebanon, N.H., has held Book ‘Em book festivals each of the past two years, and Charleston, S.C., held its first Book ‘Em earlier this year.
“After speaking to Mark Kearney and looking at the information on the (Book ‘Em) website, I felt it was a very worthwhile project and an interesting approach to promoting literacy,” said Sheri Church, who organized the Book ‘Em event in Charleston.
“I think that if we can improve the literacy rates, especially among young people, they will be more likely to stay in school and receive an education,” Church said.
It may seem like Kearney always had such high goals set on his mind, but he never expected he’d ever end up doing this.
“When I became a police officer, I didn’t have the faintest clue that I’d ever get into promoting literacy,” Kearney said. “When I was in the planning stages, I started thinking of this event here being successful and being an event that really helped the community out,” said Kearney.
Filed under: 1-July 2008 Issue
