Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Classrooms at Hayes Bilingual School and Marvin Pratt Elementary School were buzzing with excitement in November as every student was allowed to choose five free books to take home. During the annual Scholastic Book Fair, every student selected books thanks to a donation from Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Children are more likely to read when they select their own books and can build their own home library. The generous donation from Lopez gave students access to their favorite titles and authors in all genres including mystery, adventure, fantasy, humor, science fiction, and more.
Lopez even received some help from his mother, Debby, who assisted during one of the events. “Brook is delighted to share his love of reading with others because reading is fundamental to success and a great source of fun and adventure!” she said.
Earlier in 2022, Lopez made similar donations at Cass Street School, Siefert School, and Luther Burbank School. In March 2023, he plans to provide books at three more MPS schools. Lopez is expected to donate more than 10,000 books this year to 2,000 students, with the total value of his gift reaching about $75,000.
Lopez is also supporting Next Door Foundation in Milwaukee by giving $500 for every block he makes this season, up to a maximum of $25,000. Known as the Blocks for Books program, the funds will purchase books for the organization’s library. Lopez’s donations in the previous three seasons of the program have helped to renovate the facility’s library and purchase books.
Thank you, Brook Lopez, for promoting literacy in our community!