NOVEMBER 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 55
THE BOOK FAIRIES
3 MILLIONTH DONATION
A Freeport-based nonprofi t dedicated
to eradicating illiteracy had the Long
Island Nets basketball team help celebrate
the group donating its 3 millionth
book on Oct. 22.
The Book Fairies made the donation
during the Long Island Nets Basketball
Academy youth clinic at the Town of
North Hempstead’s Yes We Can Community
Center in Westbury, where 35
participants each received two free books
from the group, followed by the clinic led
by the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)
Sports Safety trained clinicians.
“It’s truly a testament to the support we’ve
received from organizations like the Long
Island Nets that we are able to reach the
3 millionth donated book just two years
aft er celebrating our 2 millionth book
giveaway,” said Eileen Minogue, executive
director of The Book Fairies. “We
are grateful to the local community, our
dedicated volunteers, and all of our donors
for making our mission achievable
over the past 10 years.”
The organization collects reading materials
for people in need throughout
the New York metro area with the goal
of nurturing a love of reading across
varying age groups. More than 1,500
individuals volunteer with The Book
Fairies, helping to source, sort, and pack
boxes of free reading materials for distribution
to stock classrooms and build
home libraries. Founded in 2012, The
Book Fairies has redistributed books
to local high need schools, shelters,
soup kitchens, correctional facilities,
and even underdeveloped countries
in Africa. Last year, it achieved the
2020 Guinness World Record title for
the longest line of books, which it later
donated.
“The Long Island Nets are proud to work
with local community organizations
who are invested in the success of Long
Island’s youth,” said Alton Byrd, vice
president of growth properties at BSE
Global, parent company of the Long
Island Nets, the National Basketball
Association (NBA) G League affi liate of
the Brooklyn Nets. “We want to congratulate
The Book Fairies on reaching an
extraordinary milestone. It is a pleasure
to collaborate with organizations
dedicated to positively impacting the
lives of children.”
LI FAMILY
Long Island Nets and the Book Fairies Book Charity celebrate the three
millionth book donated. (Photo by Bruce Adler)
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
