LBAR continues book donations, takes aim at bullying
Feb 18th, 10
Three years ago, when asked what Ashland Elementary School needed most from the Lexington-Bluegrass Association of REALTORS® (LBAR), one word came to mind from Principal Schuronda Morton: “Books”!
LBAR was more than happy to make a book donation to Ashland Elementary, however Judy Craft, 2008 LBAR president thought, “Why stop there? Why not reach all the children in our area?”
Melissa Poynter, the chairperson of the Community Education Task Force, rallied REALTORS® in the Association to assist in the book donation process. In the first year of this project over 1,000 books were donated to 100 elementary schools in the Bluegrass.
Now in its second year, the project is still growing and blooming into something much bigger than a simple book donation. Focusing on the issue of bullying in schools, the task force chose the book Enemy Pieby award-winning author Derek Munson as this year’s gift.
This story follows a young boy and his father as they work to turn the boy’s “Best Enemy” into his “Best Friend”. The book stresses the importance of tolerance and relationship building amongst children while also providing a strong paternal figure as the central problem-solving character.
Poynter did not stop this year at simply giving a book; she had a dream of taking the message of anti-bullying all the way to the halls of the capitol. And she did just that.
On February 10, joined by Tara Calahan King, illustrator of Enemy Pie, and LBAR members, a proclamation was presented by Colmon Eldridge, Executive Assistant to the Governor, naming March as Safe Passage Month. Safe Passage Month has been initiated to call awareness to the most common form of violence in our society, bullying. The proclamation recognizes children as our greatest resource, and stresses the importance of community education to develop better relationships between children.
Donations will be made to 110 elementary schools in the Bluegrass region this year. Local REALTORS® from each county are invited to attend and participate in the donation and read the book to a class. The project is part of LBAR’s goal to become involved with the area’s school systems in innovative ways that will positively shape the future of our community’s children.
As the region’s leading advocate for homeownership, Lexington-Bluegrass Association of REALTORS® understands the value and joy of owning a home. LBAR represents more than 2,000 REALTORS® located in Anderson, Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Montgomery, Nicholas, Powell, Scott and Woodford Counties. Visit www.lbar.com or call 859-276-3503 for buying and selling resources and real estate listings.