Letter to the editor: Kids gives tokens for tigers

• Donation jar

Submitted

Talk about it

I am writing to give three big cheers for the kids who participated in the Two Harbors Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.

This year, we decided to try something new. Instead of automatically getting a small prize for each reading milestone, kids had the option of choosing a small prize or choosing to donate a 25-cent token to a charitable cause – the World Wildlife Fund. The Friends of the Two Harbors Public Library offered to “turn the tokens into cash” and send a check to the World Wildlife Fund on behalf of the kids of the Two Harbors Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.

I wasn’t sure how the experiment would work out. Would the jar sit empty? Would kids donate? Would they wrinkle their noses at giving a charitable contribution instead of getting a prize for their reading hours?

Well, I did not anticipate how generous our readers would be! By the middle of August our token jar was stuffed full – not just of tokens, but of dollar bills and change from people who wanted to donate. We wound up with a grand total of $259.25 in tokens and $18.00 in dollars and change.

It is wonderful that our kids chose to donate some of their reading hours to a good cause. They can be proud of themselves for helping to protect wildlife and restore their habitats around the world. So, a big THANK YOU to the kids of the Two Harbors Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, another big THANK YOU to the Friends of the Library, and one more big THANK YOU to the parents, teachers, and members of the community for supporting the kids through a wonderful summer filled with books, philanthropy, and fun!

Tags: opinion