Local schools got a boost last week when they received a donation of school books from the Fairfield Rotary Club.
Each year the Fairfield Rotary Club donates dictionaries to Year 6 students at a number of local schools as part of the Club's Literacy Outreach Programme. This year the club has extended the programme to include a donation of new primary school readers to schools in Hamilton and the greater Waikato.
Fairfield Rotary Club president Michael Cahill said it was important to make a contribution that benefits education.
"This is one of the many community-based projects that our Rotary Club will be undertaking this year as we fully embrace the 2014 theme, which is to 'Light Up Rotary'," said Mr Cahill. "Literacy is one of the main focuses of Rotary International and we are hoping to light up children's lives by donating these books to their schools."
The books can be used for everyday reading activities and some books will be used for many years to come, he said.
Fairfield Primary principal Lisa Deane thanked Rotary for the generous donation of books.
"It allowed us to put an extra 25 sets of readers into our reading room. We tallied up the cost of having to purchase these books ourselves, and we would have been looking at well over $2000," she said.
Schools in the Pacific Islands have also benefitted from the donation - the club has sent 30 boxes to schools in Papua New Guinea and 30 boxes to Fijian schools on Taveuni.
Fairfield Rotary Club members are now sorting the 36,000 books into various age groups, before making arrangements for their delivery to the schools.
Any school wishing to receive a donation of the books can contact Fairfield Rotary on 027 316 1182.
Rotarians Peter Millar and Neil Lewer are seen here repacking boxes prior to their distribution to local schools.