Book Trust Fundraiser Aims to Grow Keiki Literacy

Book Trust Hawai‘i will host its 7th annual fundraiser, Extravaganza: The Odyssey, on March 23, 2019 at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. This Greek themed literary celebration features a Mediterranean feast by Four Seasons Maui Executive Chef Craig Dryhurst, live entertainment, the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind auction items and more.

Book Trust’s 2018 Extravaganza, Treasure Island at the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort and Spa. File photo credit: Book Trust

Funded entirely by generous donations, Book Trust Hawai‘i provides elementary students the opportunity to select and own books of their choice, resulting in better reading skills and greater family engagement around literacy.

Book Trust Hawai‘i uniquely delivers choice and ownership of books, which is proven to increase literacy skills and foster life-long learning. During the 2018-2019 school year, Book Trust empowered over 5,000 students at 14 Title 1 schools in Hawai‘i to select 2-3 books monthly and build a personal library of up to 20 books.

Book Trust’s 2018 Extravaganza, Treasure Island at the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort and Spa. File photo credit: Book Trust

“Each year, thousands of children from low-income families in Hawai‘i start school without ever having owned a book. In areas of poverty, the ratio of books to children is just one book for every 300 children,” said Book Trust Hawai‘i Director, Katie McMillan. “Book Trust is changing that. We want every child to have an opportunity to fall in love with reading and have access to a brighter future.”

Not only does Book Trust help kids build home libraries full of books they want to read, it also helps teachers use those books in the classroom to build healthy habits of reading and learning. Over a school year, the percentage of Book Trust students reading at grade level jumps from 31% to 59%.

One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the Book Trust’s Extravaganza: The Odyssey will go towards supporting Book Trust’s literacy program in Hawai‘i. For more information, to inquire about event sponsorship or to purchase tickets contact Katie McMillan at 808-283-4120 or kmcmillan@booktrust.org. Tickets can also be purchased online at bit.ly/extravaganza2019. For more information about Book Trust, go to www.booktrust.org.