Logan Book Drive

UR hand delivers 750 books to students

By DALE GOODWIN
Public Relations Director

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Staff members from the University Relations department of Gonzaga University will hand deliver 750 new or gently used books to students at Logan Elementary School, 1001 E. Montgomery Ave., on Friday, Jan. 23, at 2 p.m. About 30 GU employees will give each of 450 students a book of his/her own to take home. The remaining 300 books will be given for use in the library and classrooms.

Gonzaga's University Relations department has undertaken a yearlong project serving the Logan neighborhood. The University Relations staff began its book drive before Christmas and collected 750 books. Spike the Bulldog will be at the school Friday to help GU staffers distribute books to the elementary students and reinforce the message that "readers are leaders." Logan families have the lowest average household incomes of any school in Spokane Public Schools, and the school enrolls more homeless students than any elementary school in the district.

This is the second event so far at Logan, where Gonzaga hopes to deepen friendships, renew commitments and connect the students and neighbors of the Logan community with Gonzaga. When Gonzaga staff members brought donuts and coffee to the teachers lounge one morning last fall to say "Thanks" for all that they do for the kids in our neighborhood, there were very few dry eyes. I thought this might be of particular interest to your readers and viewers in light of President Obama’s call for people to help people solve some of our own domestic issues through service.

A hallmark of Jesuit education is service to others. Gonzaga has a service-learning component as part of its academic curriculum. In addition, many Gonzaga students participate in other service projects. Gonzaga students (and employees) have averaged more than 100,000 hours of community service annually over the past five years.

For more information, please contact Amy Walker, Gonzaga project coordinator, at 313-6382.