I <3 Authors!!!
The car is packed, I’ve sandbagged as much sleep as I can, and we’re finally loaded up and ready to drive to the park for this year’s Relay for Life, an all-night walk to benefit the American Cancer Society.
Our team, Rock the Cure, is made up of about 25 teens (I’m really just there to chaperone, though it feels like a lot more work than that!) who work together to raise money for cancer research, prevention, and education.
The day of the event, we run carnival games for kids and teens, provide face painting, henna tattoos, and all kinds of other things as our fundraisers. But one of the biggest efforts of all involve our now-famous book baskets.
My sixteen-year-old daughter, Rebekah, coordinates the effort starting in January by contacting over a hundred authors to ask for donations of signed books. The books come in from February-April, and are stored, catalogued, and thank you-ed by Rebekah. After that, Rebekah and I purchase little “extras” to go in the book baskets which are then raffled off as part of our team fundraiser. It’s a TREMENDOUS effort on Rebekah’s part, and I’m so proud of and grateful to her for doing it every year.
But we couldn’t do it without the many, many authors and illustrators who so generously donate books. This year was our biggest yet, resulting in FIVE massive book baskets filled to the brim with signed books for teens, book lights, candy, notecards, nail polish, jewelry, and pretty much anything else you can think of! I’m indebted to the following authors for supporting our team this year by donating books. It’s more than just a book – you’re sending a message to these wonderful teens that if they’re willing to work for good, there will be others willing to work and sacrifice by their side.
Plus, five lucky teens out there are going to get some awesome summer reading for the prize of a raffle ticket (or ten!)!
A big THANK YOU (in no particular order) to…
Kathleen Bell (could not find a web site for you Kathleen! Email me if you have one!)
There is some incredible summer reading here…
Please support these authors and illustrators by checking out their books!
❤
Michelle Zink 
What an amazing way to contribute, Michelle! I never cease to be amazed by the generosity of the YA community!! You and your daughter do a wonderful thing by giving your time and effort to this cause, and as a cancer survivor myself (well, still fighting, but definitely surviving!!), I send you big hugs and say thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 🙂
Oh, thank you so much for commenting, Becky! I’m sorry to hear of your struggle, but I’m becoming more and more confident that a cure WILL be found. Relays are run all over the country year-round, and our small town alone has raised almost a million dollars for the ACS in a few short years. I have to think all this money and attention to research is going to pay off SOON.
I’m thinking of you and sending you lots of Get Well Soon vibes!
*hugs* (Hugs are healing, you know!)
MZ
Big kudos to the Zink family – great effort~! Also well done to all the authors for supporting such a worthwhile event. Makes me feel proud to be part of the YA community 🙂