By Denise Gary
Photos © Bruce Matsunaga and Denise Gary
Oh, the great times we always have at the annual Arizona Renaissance Festival book drive for Kids Need to Read! For five years, the festival has been holding the book-raiser benefiting KNTR during their highly popular Pirate Invasion Weekend. It is an enormous blessing to our organization … in addition to being just plain fun!
Every child who swaggered on up to the Kids Need to Read station with a new children’s book was provided with a free admission ticket to the faire (courtesy of Arizona Renaissance Festival) and a free Highlights or Highlights High Five magazine (courtesy of Kids Need to Read and Highlights for Children)!
We were so grateful to receive 301 excellent books, the parents greatly appreciated the admission tickets, and the children were thrilled to receive their magazines.
Some dapper pirates were enthusiastic to learn more about our cause.
The Prince graciously bestowed a bunny upon Denise in the name of Beatrix Potter.
His Royal Highness was also a gifted storyteller, to the delight of the young pirates.
Of course, we managed to find some moments to eat faire delicacies …
… purchase unique treasures …
… enjoy the entertainment …
… and act silly.
Many, many huzzahs of gratitude to Arizona Renaissance Festival for providing this terrific opportunity to Kids Need to Read every year!
We also thank Highlights for Children for their generous magazine donations to our organization, so that we are constantly able to inspire children to read wherever we go. We have the most wonderful partnerships, all to ensure children will have the benefit of a literate future.
Be sure to join us again next year bearing children’s books and sporting your finest pirate gear. You are sure to have a great time, while helping Kids Need to Read to provide much-needed literacy support to children!
