CHESTERTOWN, MD—Washington College presents the first annual Caring for Kids Book Fest the week of December 2 as an opportunity to give the gift of knowledge and boost reading for local school children.

The book sale will kick off Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., in the Casey Academic Center with hot cocoa and cookies and a visit from Santa and his helpers. It will continue each weekday evening, Dec. 3-7, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

During the Book Fest visitors can purchase books for holiday giving, choosing from hundreds of titles that include everything from children’s books to cookbooks and New York Times bestsellers. The bookstore will offer a 20 percent discount on purchases for every customer who buys at least one book for the charity component of the Book Fest:  “Buy a Book, Feed a Mind.”

The “Buy a Book, Feed a Mind” campaign will accept donations of newly purchased books to be distributed to needy children in the local schools. “Our goal is to collect 2,000 books for financially disadvantaged students at Garnett Elementary and Chestertown Middle Schools,” says Director of Student Development Beth Anne Langrell, whose office is working with the Washington College bookstore to organize the event.  “There are at least a thousand children in our county living in poverty, and our hope is to put two new books into the hands of each and every one of them. In turn, we hope every book donated will help spark the love of reading for these children.”

For more information regarding event details contact Beth Anne Langrell, Director of Student Development, via email at student_development@washcoll.edu or by calling 410-778-7752.