Book Harvest To Host 12th Annual Dream Big Book Drive At Golden Belt Campus On MLK Day 

Dream BigDurham, NC Book Harvest will host its 12th annual Dream Big Book Drive and Community Celebration on the afternoon of Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 16 – from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the historic Golden Belt Campus in Durham. 

Book Harvest’s Dream Big Book Drive honors the legacy of Dr. King, whose invocation to serve continues to inspire and galvanize the community. This annual event invites everyone to help all children realize their big dreams by ensuring they have an abundance of books to spark their imaginations and build their brains.

Community members are invited to bring donations of new and gently used children’s books (for ages 0-18) to the Dream Big event on January 16; a drive-through option to drop off books will be available. Donated books will be available to families in Durham and beyond through Book Harvest’s many programs, which provide books and literacy support to children starting at birth. 

Everyone can enjoy a celebratory afternoon of events and entertainment, both indoors and outdoors. Families can meet Durham legend, Wool E. Bull, from 1:00-1:30 p.m., watch the Bouncing Bulldogs jump rope show at 1:30 p.m., and join the Paperhand Puppet Intervention parade at 2:30 p.m.! Dream Big will also feature free popcorn from Mad Popper, poems written in real-time by the Poetry Fox, Man Man the mini horse, crafts and activities courtesy of community partners, warm donuts from Mr. A’s Beignets, and more! All guests will also enjoy free children’s books to take home and keep forever. 

All guests will also enjoy free children’s books to take home and keep forever. (submitted)

“Dream Big is an annual celebration that honors Dr. King and makes a real difference for families in our community,” said Tabitha Blackwell, Executive Director of Book Harvest Durham. 

“We see the joy of books come alive year after year on MLK Day when hundreds gather to help realize our vision of a world in which reading, learning, and access to information are considered rights, not privileges – so that all children can thrive.” 

To date, more than 55 book drive captains throughout the Triangle have signed up to run Dream Big book drives in their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, congregations, and civic groups. Volunteers across the country are also leading online book drives, in which participants make purchases from Book Harvest’s online wishlist through The Regulator Bookshop. Learn more at bookharvest.org/dreambig

Book Harvest’s 2023 Dream Big Book Drive already has 56 sponsors, including ‘Lead’ sponsors Hendrick Subaru Southpoint, The Forest at Duke, Mebane Charitable Foundation, and Written Word Media; and ‘Aspire’ sponsors Duke University Libraries, Scholastic, Participate Learning, Cardinal Retirement Planning, Inc., and Golden Belt Campus. See the full list here

About Book Harvest: 

Book Harvest is a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit organization, which has provided more than 1.9 million books to children since 2011. Book Harvest provides an abundance of books and ongoing literacy support to families and their children from birth. The organization envisions a world in which reading, learning, and access to information are considered rights, not privileges so that all children thrive. Learn more at bookharvest.org