Literacy event to fire up donations

The countdown is on. The Trident Literacy Association plans to hold a book burning Oct. 24.

Throw them in a heap. Spray the pile with kerosene. Throw in a few matches. And watch 'em go up in flames.

But you can help save them, specifically some of your favorites, by donating money to literacy efforts in the Lowcountry between now and then.

The book-burning fundraiser is the brainchild of Trident Literacy board member April Parker as a way to highlight the high rate of illiteracy in the Lowcountry, where an estimated 15 percent to 20 percent of adults are illiterate.

Parker's thoughts were this:

The rate of illiteracy is so high that it won't be long until no one will be left to read books, which will just take up space and become eyesores and fire hazards. So why not just burn them?

"When she (April) first presented it (to the board)," recalls Eileen Chepenik, Trident Literacy's executive director, "she was met with dead silence. Everyone knows what burning books suggests. There was a chance the whole thing could backfire."

But as the board continued to talk about it, they warmed up to the idea.

The recently launched campaign is primarily Web based — www.lowcountrybookburning.org and on Facebook — and gives opportunities for people to "save" their favorite books from the flames. One book costs $25, two $40, three $50 and so on. Those saving books have an opportunity to write a comment on why.

Some books that already have been saved are "The Grapes of Wrath," "To Kill A Mockingbird," "The Secret Life of Bees," "The Diary of Anne Frank," "A Farewell to Arms" and "The Cat in the Hat."

"If they don't want to save any (particular) books, they can just make a donation," says Chepenik.

An extra incentive to give comes from local philanthropist Anita Zucker, who has challenged Trident Literacy to raise $25,000 with the book-burning project. When it hits that mark, Zucker will write a check for $25,000.

"We are overwhelmed by her generosity," says Chepenik. "Education has always been important to her, and we are so grateful that she has chosen to help us with this campaign. Her leadership will no doubt have a strong, positive impact on others."

Besides an overall goal of raising $100,000 by Oct. 24, Chepenik says the initiative will give Trident Literacy a chance to widen the community's awareness of illiteracy with interviews on local TV stations, updates in print media and possibly billboard advertisements.

Chepenik says the campaign is sure to generate some heat. And the question is, will they really burn books?

"How shocking is it to know that 60,000 adults in our community don't have high school credentials and that 20,000 have less than a ninth-grade education or that 42 million Americans can't read?" says Chepenik. "Will we really burn books? I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Reach David Quick at 937-5516 or dquick@postandcourier.com.