2009 Book Fair a Resounding Success
10/27/2009
Record Crowds at 2009 Book Fair
By Sue Gulley, Executive Director
It’s my great pleasure to recap our recent Red Cross Book Fair that ran Oct. 1-6th at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. This year was another record-setting event due to the efforts and dedication of so many book lovers over the year. As we have seen for so many years, patrons lined up starting at 8 am on opening day despite chilly weather, just to be the first ones in the door at 2 pm. We extended our hours to 9 pm on opening day, and on Friday, which we called “Book Bucks Day.” During Friday, we gave $1-off coupons to anyone donating foods for our food drive to benefit Hoosier Hills Food Bank. Due to the generosity of residents in our area we collected and donated 337 lbs. of food! We counted 1,897 patrons at the book fair on Friday, and 2,233 on Saturday. All told, 6,000 people came, browsed, enjoyed and bought great books and media at this year’s event.
There are so many to thank for our success. I want to acknowledge the labor of love of so many unsung heroes, our Book Fair volunteers, who work tirelessly throughout the year sorting and packing the books, and then unpacking and setting them all out and selling them in such an organized fashion for our book fair patrons. Thank you to our small and dedicated staff at the Red Cross, who carry, box, move and store books all year long, and then help to set up, organize and run this amazing event. They do this while continuing to perform expertly at their “real jobs” at the Red Cross. Thank you, too, to the Red Cross board of directors who support our Book Fair 100% every year, and who cannot wait to get out to the fairgrounds to help when the time comes. Thank you to our business and community partners who support our collection efforts throughout the year.
** BOOK FAIR BY THE NUMBERS
$70,750 Monies Raised
6000+ Patrons Attending
356 Book Fair Volunteers
2,325 Hours Donated by Volunteers
250 Days a year Patrons Donate Books at the Chapter House
** Thanks to Our Business and Community Partners
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Xi Delta
Babbs Super Valu
Batchelor Middle School
Bloomington Hardware
Bloomington High School North
Bloomington High School South
Borders Books & Music
Building Associates, Inc.
Cincinnati Christian Church
City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation
CVS Pharmacy @ College/14th
Ellettsville True Value
FedEx Kinko’s in Eastland Plaza
Hoosier Disposal
Hoosier Hills Food Bank
IU American Red Cross Club
IU Civic Leadership Development
IU Indian Student Association
IU International Business Association
IU Lilly Library Rare Books Section
IU SPEA Service Corps
IU START student organization
Jeanne Walters Real Estate
Kroger, Jackson Creek
Marsh Supermarkets
Monroe County Community Corrections
Monroe County Fairgrounds
Monroe County History Center
National Guard Armory
Nature’s Way
Securitas Security Services, Mark Reyher
Smithville Telephone
Stonebelt Freight, Ted Benckart
Stonecrest Resort & Carl March
Templeton Elementary
WCLS
WBWB
WFIU
And…Thanks to these Area Restaurants
The American Red Cross is so grateful to the following restaurants that generously donated lunch for our book fair volunteers during the set-up and take-down of the event:
Anatolia
Aver’s Pizza
Chicago’s Pizza
Irish Lion
McDonald’s
Olive Garden
Shanti
Rally’s Hamburgers
Walmart
Also, thanks to:
Red Cross Book Fair Committee Members
Red Cross Board Members
Red Cross Disaster Volunteers
Monroe County community members for their donations
Book Fair Patrons
Student groups
Community volunteers
Join us for our 2010 Book Fair Sept. 30- Oct. 5, 2010 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds