Who says people don't read books any more?
No one told that to the almost 5,000 book shoppers who came out to the Rotary of White Rock Charity Book Sale at the Peace Arch Curling Centre in Centennial Park April 4 to 8.
"This was our best ever sale," book sale committee chair Keith Becker told Peace Arch News.
"We set daily sales records on the first four days and had a total 15 per cent increase in revenue over the last April sale," he said.
Some 39,244 books were sold over the five days, raising $78,676 for Rotary projects and community initiatives at home and abroad.
Traditionally the April sale is stronger than the August book sale, Becker noted.
On the opening day alone, more than 10,000 books found new homes, contributing $30,512 to the cause, he said – a 24 per cent increase over the first day of last year's April sale.
When the doors opened, club executive and volunteers were startled to observed an unprecedented line-up of customers reaching from the main floor of the Curling Centre out of the building and extending far into the parking lot.
"I attribute the increase to all the great book donations we have been getting over the year at the Rotary Fieldhouse," Becker said.
"Also it seems that more people are sharing their good experiences with the sale on social media, and we want to thank our customers for finding a good home for all of the books they found at the sale."
Becker said the success of the book sale makes a strong argument for the club to retain its lease from the City of Surrey for the Field House – which the club was significantly instrumental in building 20 years ago – despite recent agitation by some local sports organizations to take over the lease.
Becker said that club members canvassed book shoppers about the issue during the sale, noting the importance of the Field House in gathering and organizing books for the sale.
"We were very pleased with the nearly 100 per cent support for our campaign to retain our lease at the Rotary Fieldhouse so that we can continue having the book sale.
"Our book sales are eagerly awaited by Surrey and White Rock residents – their love of reading contributes over $100,000 annually to our club's
charitable giving," said club president Anthony Manning.
"Community groups rely on us to help their programs supporting the most vulnerable. None of this would be possible without our ability to store up to 50,000 books at a time in the Rotary Fieldhouse."
With that mammoth inventory of quality books in just about every genre of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children the sale was, as always, a win-win for residents and visitors, Manning said.
Over the last six months alone, proceeds from the book sale have allowed the Rotary Club of White Rock to provide grants of $10,000 to Semiahmoo Family Place, $7000 to the Sources Christmas giving tree, $2800 to the White Rock-South Surrey Stroke recovery program, $2500 to the Surrey Eagles Birds & Buddies program, $2500 to READ's literacy program, and $1800 to Crescent Housing Society, he said.
Other community contributions directly from the book sale have included $1500 to the White Rock Community Christmas dinner, $1000 to H.T.Thrift Elementary for Christmas hampers, $1000 to help sponsor Sources' Coldest Night of the Year (for which the clubalso raised $11,600 outside of the book sales), $750 for Semiahmoo Secondary's music program and $300 to Cloverdale's shelter, for gift bags, Manning added.
"Many other requests are waiting in the wings," he said.
Following the club's long-standing tradition, prices actually went down as the sale continued. On April 4 and 5, books were priced at a low $3 each, dropping to $2 per book on April 6 and 7.
On the closing day of the sale (April 8) book bargain hunters could fill a bag for $10 while the club re-donated remaining unsold books to teachers and other community groups.
