Two Tri-City community schools are in the running to win $10,000 in new books.
Seaview elementary in Port Moody and Central elementary in Port Coquitlam are looking for the public's help to gain votes in the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation's Adopt a School contest.
As of Thursday, Seaview was in first place in B.C. with more than 2,400 votes, or "adopts." It has also received donations through the drive that amount to 255 books.
(Central was 16th in B.C., with 29 adopts as of Thursday.)
Seaview principal Susan Ross said should her school win the competition, "it would be transformative."
Most books in the library at the Cecile Drive school are between 10 and 20 years old, she said. A $10,000 injection would mean new titles as well as full series and collections plus hands-on resources to help the 225 students with literacy skills.
"We are a community that really, really cares about our kids," Ross said. "We are a community that can make good decisions and it deserves to win."
Tara Martin, who has two children at the school, said since a Seaview parent posted the details on Facebook, the local effort has taken off. Word has also spread through networking, emails, newsletters and other social media. "It's kind of electrified the school," Ross said.
The close-knit community is now hoping to get external attention to boost the school's reading programs such as morning family reading, big buddy-little buddy, and before- and after-school care sessions.
"Our school is not in close proximity to the Port Moody Library," Martin said. "There are families in our neighbourhood that have financial limitations to bring their children to and from the local library. Being able to borrow resources at school would benefit them tremendously."
To cast your vote before the Oct. 4 deadline, go to adoptaschool.indigo.ca/eng. The online campaign and Chapters Pinetree Village are also accepting book donations to the registered schools.
