Books For Charity

Would you give your birthday presents up? Ryan Skarnulis did, and he is only 9 years old. Instead of the normal over-the-top birthday party, he wanted a charity party. He set out to collect 3 (aff),285 books to donate to Reach Out and Read. I know you are all wondering why 3 (aff),285 books. According to him, “When I turn 9, that's how many days I have been living, so that's what I wanted to do. One book per every day of my life”. Since he made this statement to a local paper here in Illinois, he has inspired the donation of over 6,000 books.

His birthday party yielded 1,200 books in 2 (aff) hours. Banks, churches, and schools held book drives and sent the books to Ryan. Strangers left books on his doorstep. People order books from online bookstores and sent them to their house.

To quote their site:

Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national non-profit organization that promotes early literacy by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud in pediatric exam rooms across the nation.

This is a great cause, and I would love for this little boy to be able to collect even more books. You can donate either books or money to help. If you do donate to them, please let them know that Ryan Skarnulis and I sent you.

Lisa Martin

In April 2006, Lisa began blogging to stay connected with distant relatives and friends. As she delved into blogging, she discovered the potential to assist others by sharing her experiences. Lisa has actively engaged in numerous exclusive media ventures. Notable among these are her participation in events such as the Sony Mommy Bloggers Event, the Pampers Mommy Bloggers Event, the Epson Event in Chicago, the Stouffers Event, a memorable yacht excursion with Lands End, collaborations with 1-800-Baskets, an exclusive tour for bloggers by Mrs. Prindable’s, partnerships with Hallmark, PopCap games, Chicago Cubs Mastercard Priceless Events, and Rug Doctor. In addition, she has collaborated with Nutrisystem on a weight loss initiative, teamed up with Buick and Chevy, and served as a brand ambassador for Sprint. Lisa's collaboration portfolio also extends to Disney, where she has participated in press trips for significant movies such as Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, McFarland USA, The Good Dinosaur, The BFG, and Cars 3. Notably, for projects like Frozen, The BFG, and Cars 3, she was granted the privilege of walking the red carpet and conducting interviews with celebrities. The impact of Lisa's blog has gained recognition, with The New York Times referencing her content. Moreover, she has been featured in interviews by respected publications such as the Southtown Star, The Chicago Sun Times, and inside.

This Post Has 21 Comments

  1. Kate

    That's a pretty amazing little kid! I have to admit I'm not nearly as selfless: if I gave up my b-day presents, I'd never get some of the things I really want but feel too guilty about spending money on myself.

  2. Lisa

    I agree. And I know I would have never thought this big when I was 9.

  3. Malin

    That's really thoughtful for a kid to do such a thing. I admire him! 🙂

  4. Crystal

    What a thoughtful kid! I wonder if his parents told him to do it? Hmm… Just kidding!

  5. Jaz

    I know that when I was 9 all I thought about was the Jerry Lewis Telethon and I did collect for that. But, it never would have occurred to me to do what this 9 year old has done. What a kid!!! WOW!

  6. Grace

    That's fantastic! I don't get presents for my birthday anymore, but that's an amazing kid.

  7. valmg

    Here for carnival.

    What a great story of a giving, caring, unselfish child. His parents must be so proud.

  8. teri

    My kids have done this at their last few birthdays. We talked about how they receive way more than they could ever need even before a birthday party and we asked them who they would like to donate their presents to. One child, an animal lover, chose The Humane Society. When we send out the invitations, we state "No presents but if you would like to make a donation to… ". My son got more joy out of going to deliver the bags of dog food and toys than he ever would have gotten out of playing with some cheap toy for a few weeks. He still talks about this experience almost a year later. I highly recommend this practice for families.

  9. Jennifer

    I like this idea for my adult party. I never get what I want anyways…the animal shelter or wherever would get much better use out of the money that would be spent on my gifts. Wonderful idea…

  10. CyberCelt

    Great kid. Gives me hope that the children will straighten out the mess we adults have made of the Earth.

  11. Jimi

    haha…I just noticed you were using this theme. I have been using it for a finance blog I made a while back as well. Very good theme. Is this the widget ready version?

    I had some trouble with the RSS feeds working at first, but found the problem with some blank space in one of the files. Wouldn't remember which it was for the life of me now…lol

  12. skeet

    I'm all about sharing books and encouraging other people to read. I love it that a boy so young "gets it" and is so willing to share with others!

    Mahalo for sharing the good news!

  13. skeet

    I'm all about sharing books and encouraging other people to read. I love it that a boy so young "gets it" and is so willing to share with others!

    Mahalo for sharing the good stuff!

  14. Jenny

    Aww that was sweet of him.

  15. valmg

    Here from spread some sunshine.

    This is the second time I've read this story and I am still so touched by what this child is doing.

  16. John Skoob

    I am looking for places to donate books!

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