Read Up Friends

Providing libraries with free reading materials, because we are so inspired by the Dolly Parton Imagination Library! We wish to do the same for local schools!!

Racing-2-Read is a (501)(c)(3) non-profit organization located in the Appalachian areas of VA, WV, TN & KY. We sponsor Alice Barnett racing at the Kingsport Speedway in Tennessee. Our goal is to promote reading in small, rural areas by providing books to local schools and public libraries.

Reading is an essential key to success! For thirty years, I sold books to our local school libraries with a mobile bookstore called Show Me Books. During my tenure as a salesperson, I encountered many dedicated librarians who spent their own money to buy new books for their students to read. Librarians have hearts made of GOLD. I had a librarian who worked in the Scott Co. VA school systems, and after thirty years of service, she was going to retire. She called to tell me she wanted to spend her $800 bonus on new books for one of the schools she was working for. Since it was summer, she didn't know if I would bring over the mobile bookstore. I met her the next day, and I was so touched by her commitment to share her bonus with the students. When she was finished shopping, I said to her, "Ok, we got to do it all over again!" and I donated another $800 in free books for the other school she serviced. Now, grant you, in 2013, I was able to sell the hardback books for around $10 each, which was almost at cost, so she received around eighty books for each school. That day, the dream in me came to life. I was determined I would do the same for every librarian in the areas I had worked. One year later to the date after I had my visit with her, I received a call from the people in Missouri, and they gave me the Book Company I was working for if I wished to continue its operations. I blessed her schools, and I in return got extremely blessed. Which set me up to complete the dream that was birthed into me the day I met with this librarian. I would one day hold an event that would bring over (300) area private and public-school librarians together and give them all free books for their libraries. As a non-profit, it would be my great pleasure to be able to give hundreds of free books to each librarian! This is the goal we strive to reach, for more and more libraries, until every child in America has easy access to reading materials.

We are currently working on a major project to provide over 300k hardback, library-bound books to public and private schools! All books were graciously donated by Show Me Books and are valued at an estimated WHOPPING 7.5 million dollars!! We are providing the books 100% free of charge, but unfortunately, we could use a little bit of help with funding the giveaway event. We currently need to provide food for the teachers who will be in attendance and boxes for transferring the books back to the schools, as well as entertainment during the event. There will be a large expense to rent a venue large enough to hold the event and the workers to set up and organize all the books back in one place. We have the books now in storage, and they are all paid for. I will be donating these books for the event. We have never seen an event of this kind for school libraries. We will be making history together and providing the means to promote better reading for our kids. You can be a part of this great event by opening your heart and making a donation. Your gift is tax-deductible. We are accepting both cash donations and volunteers to assist with hosting this event. Anything helps, so please open your hearts for the kids!

Thank you in advance for helping us to reach our goal!

For more information, please contact us at:

844-507-BOOK (2665)

[email redacted]

Or visit us at:

www.ReadUpFriendsFoundation.com