AFT bookmobile brought 40,000 books to McDowell County to give away

Jun. 14—WELCH — McDowell County children were given the opportunity to take home free books last Friday and Saturday in Welch.

The Reading Opens the World project is sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and includes a large bookmobile that travels around the country.

On Friday, it brought 40,000 books to give away in McDowell County.

Rev. Leah Daughtry, chief of Staff for the AFT, and other AFT personnel, including national President Randi Weingarten, were in Welch for the official dedication of the 20-unit apartment building Renaissance Village for teachers and other professionals.

Daughtry, who was project manager for Renaissance Village, is also project manager for Reading Opens the World literacy campaign.

The Washington, D.C. resident said the reading project was launched in January.

"We are taking this bookmobile around the country to encourage children to read and for families to read with children," she said. "Our commitment this year is to give away 1 million books all across the country."

Daughtry said 40,000 books were brought to Welch, and "that's as many as we took to Texas."

"We are up to about 500,000 (given away) so far," she said. "Families can come and get books for their children and children can come and get books."

Daughtry said parents are urged to read with their kids this summer.

The book giveaway started at 1 p.m. Friday after the dedication and continued Saturday during the Coalfield Barbecue Cookoff, held in Welch.

Welch Elementary's therapy dog, Coal, joined the book events.

Last year, Reconnecting McDowell gave away books during the cookoff, and planned to do it again this year.

But since the AFT was in town with the dedication, it was decided to bring in its literacy campaign bookmobile.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com