Parkside gets adopted for Indigo reading program

Summerside’s Coles bookstore is adopting Parkside Elementary School for a national fundraising campaign. The store is participating in the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation’s 2018 Adopt a School Program, which will see it fundraise on the school library’s behalf. From Sept. 15 to Oct. 7 customers at this specific Coles store, located in the County Fair Mall at 475 Granville St., will be asked if they would like to make a monetary donation to support the school. All participating schools receive all monies raised on its behalf and are eligible for a donation match of up to $1,200 per school from the foundation. Anyone who would like to donate outside the store can do so online. All participating schools have their own page on the online fundraising platform, adoptaschool.indigo.ca. When supporters share a story on a school’s online page, the Foundation will donate a book to the selected school with up to 20 books for each school being given. Also, online users can “heart” these stories and the top five most “hearted” stories in each province will win additional funds. Last year, the program provided more than $1 million to Canadian high-needs schools for books and educational resources. This year, the foundation plans to provide support to local school libraries across the country with over 600 schools signed up to participate. “We believe that the right book at the right moment can change a child’s life forever and yet too many children in high-needs elementary schools have limited access to books due to insufficient funding. All children deserve access to compelling books that can inspire them to fall in love with reading and to become engaged learners,” said Ariel Siller, executive director of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. The Charlottetown Indigo store has adopted Birchwood Intermediate School in Charlottetown.