Glen Ellyn Library Reading Program to Benefit Willowbrook Wildlife Center

Submitted by Glen Ellyn Public Library

The Glen Ellyn Public Library is proud to announce that community members can help provide funding to the Willowbrook Wildlife Center by participating in the library’s 2014 Summer Reading Program, Read to Rescue. 

Read to Rescue challenges Glen Ellyn adults to read 6,000 books and Glen Ellyn children to read 70,000 hours between May 12 and August 11.

In response to the community’s commitment to achieve such lofty reading goals, the Friends of the Glen Ellyn Public Library will donate enough funding to provide 60 weeks of care to an injured or orphaned animal at the Willowbrook Wildlife Center. 

“Last year, our library observed the philanthropic nature of the Glen Ellyn community as they shattered all previous Summer Reading records in order to accomplish their reading goals and provide enough funding to feed 500 local people through the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry,” says library spokesperson Anthony McGinn. “We hope Read to Rescue will build on that success and provide an awareness of all the wonderful services the Willowbrook Wildlife Center provides.” 

In addition to reading toward a worthy cause, the library is also offering the community great prizes for sign up and participation. Kids (from birth through 8th grade) will receive animal crackers upon sign up. Additional prizes include books, patches, bookmarks and more. 

Teens (ages 13 through 18) will receive a free t-shirt upon sign up. Then they can select from a variety of gift cards, including Amazon and Starbucks, after logging their first book (at gepl.org/summer).

Teens will receive a book credit for every book read and for every book review (at least 250 words) emailed to Teen Librarian Hannah Rapp at hrapp@gepl.org. Teen Twitter users can also receive a book credit for every five tweets they send about what they are reading to @GEPLTEENSCENE (teens must be following @GEPLTEENSCENE to receive book credits). 

For every five book credits a teen earns, he will receive an entry to win one of two $200 Ticketmaster gift cards. Adults (age 18 and older) will receive a milk chocolate goose upon sign up. Adults will also be entered to win a one-year family membership to Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo or Cosley Zoo. 

Library members can register for Read to Rescuestarting at 9am on Monday, May 12 by visiting gepl.org/summer.