Grant supports Book Buddies’ free book program

CHELAN –  Book Buddies, a program led by the Lake Chelan Rotary Club, has been awarded a grant from the Confluence Health and Wenatchee Valley Medical Group Community Partnership Fund at the Community Foundation of NCW. 

The grant will provide funding for Book Buddies to distribute free books to elementary students in Chelan and Manson throughout the school year, promoting literacy and a love for reading.

“The book giveaways are part of Book Buddies’ overall objective to supplement the efforts of Chelan and Manson elementary school teachers to enhance their students' basic reading skills and encourage a life-long love for reading,” Book Buddies volunteer Valerie Rohrich said.

“We are happy to report that we received a grant to support this work,” Rohrich said.

The grant is co-funded by the two groups to provide community support to organizations and causes in Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties with a focus on health and wellness, education, and arts and culture.

“This past summer we submitted our application to the Community Partnership Fund Committee for the Lake Chelan Rotary’s Book Buddies’ program which will use the funds to provide free books to each student at Chelan and Manson elementary schools during the school year,” she said.

The Book Buddies program, launched in 2021, aims to provide every elementary student in Chelan and Manson with a free book, helping to make reading accessible and enjoyable for all. Confluence Health and the Wenatchee Valley Medical Group have supported the initiative every year since its inception, allowing the program to grow and expand each year, Rohrich said.

“It is true that reading is fundamental,” she said. “Now with this grant to Book Buddies that fundamental skill for Chelan and Manson elementary school students will be enthusiastically encouraged and significantly enhanced.”

Quinn Propst: 509-731-3590 or quinn@ward.media.