By Dylana Kneeshaw

RAISE A READER

Drive-thru donations collected for Literacy in Kamloops Raise a Reader campaign

Sep 24, 2025 | 12:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Local drive-thrus were lined with athletes and volunteers Wednesday morning (Sept. 24), collecting donations for the 18th annual Raise a Reader campaign.

Literacy Outreach Coordinator Fiona Clare says Raise a Reader is the annual fundraising push for programs and services offered by Literacy in Kamloops.

“You know, the ones that people are probably aware of are the Bright Red Book Bus, which is just awesome. We give out about 3,500 books every summer to keep kids reading over the summer. It also supports our volunteer reading program in the schools where we have volunteers working with kids who aren’t quite reading at grade-level, and that program has been going for 28 years,” says Clare. “And we also have this amazing program that’s just taken off and has a huge waitlist, it’s Digital Literacy Support for older adults.”

The money generated by Raise a Reader goes toward community programs to bolster literacy skills for all ages. Literacy in Kamloops says their goal is to help grow the day-to-day skills needed to improve someone’s quality of life.

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TRU WolfPack men’s volleyball head coach Pat Hennelly says local sports teams have been getting involved for more than 15 years now and spending the morning supporting the cause has become a fun tradition amongst different teams.

“We build that competition so guys get excited about it, and I think that enthusiasm helps people donate or gets people excited about it. And the fact that the money stays locally, I think for people in Kamloops that really resonates with them.”

Between Wednesday’s campaign and the other Raise a Reader events throughout the year, Literacy in Kamloops hopes to gather more than $100,000. Cash was king for Wednesday’s collection, but anybody who wants to contribute to the Raise a Reader campaign can donated any time online or using the QR code printed in the Kamloops Chronicle.