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Get on Board: Things to Do
Help us Grow the Campus Advisory Board Network and Earn Additional Community Starter Books for Your Advisory Board. It is back to school for students nationwide and a great opportunity to launch a new First Book Campus Advisory Board (CAB). CABs function much like other First Book Advisory Boards but are comprised of college students and recruiting and fundraising events take place on college and university campuses.
Please let us know if you have college campus contacts or are aware of students who may be interested in getting involved. Any lead that results in a new Campus Advisory Board will be rewarded with 500 additional Community Starter Books for your Advisory Board. If you have questions or a contact to share, please email cabs@firstbook.org or ask for Erin or Nicole at 866-393-1222.
Visit the new FBU website. Wish you could go to school and major in First Book? Now you can! Please visit www.firstbook.org/fbu to learn about the recently launched First Book University (FBU). Check the schedule to see if there is a Seminar coming to your region of the country. If you don't see one scheduled near you and would like to help bring FBU to your community, contact your Community Development Representative or Elizabeth Matthews at ematthews@firstbook.org.
 Spread the word to your Recipient Groups. All Educators receive 25% off during Borders Educator Savings Week, Sept. 26 through Oct. 2. More information and the coupon are available on the Borders website in English and Spanish. Contact your Community Development Manager with any further questions.
Food for Thought: Things to Know
 First Book Receives $1 million from Random House. Earlier this week, Random House, First Book's friend and contributor, announced the largest single philanthropic contribution in its history. Over the next five years, Random House will donate $1 million to First Book. Random House has also launched the First Book Matching Gifts Program, encouraging cash contributions from its employees, authors, illustrators, vendors, suppliers, literary agents and booksellers.
In the past ten years, Random House has donated more than 13 million wonderful, new books to First Book, enabling disadvantaged children in thousands of communities across the country to read and own their first new books. This historic donation will speed First Book toward its goal of making book ownership possible for children in need everywhere. First Book is profoundly grateful for Random House's extraordinary generosity and ongoing support! To read more about this exciting announcement, here.
 
5.1 Million New Books to the Gulf Coast! On August 21, First Book wrapped up Book Relief, the initiative to bring five million new books to the communities impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. First Book not only met but exceeded this goal, with a total of more than 5.1 million books distributed!
This accomplishment was celebrated on August 21st with an event at the New Orleans Public Library, where sixty students from Martin Behrman Charter Elementary School in New Orleans joined First Book staff, along with community members, local and national dignitaries, and representatives from several corporate and publishing partners-all who helped First Book reach this ambitious goal. Some of the most exciting news is that two Advisory Boards have started along the Gulf Coast due to outreach while on Book Relief distributions: First Book-University of Southern Mississippi and First Book-Greater New Orleans are now in place and will continue to serve their communities, bringing new books to the children who need them the most.
A huge thank you goes out to volunteers across the country that helped First Book complete this effort, and gave this initiative their time, dedication, passion, and drives to accomplish it all.
Keep your ABs in Shape summer promotion has ended. Thank you for participating in this unique opportunity to earn additional Borders gift cards based on summer-time catalog book grant and fundraising activity. We were thrilled by the response and by the time and energy expended by so many Boards over the summer. We are in the process of tallying up the results and winners will be announced by the end of September.
 First Book continues partnership with Pi Beta Phi. This summer, First Book and Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women announced the official launch of a national partnership that will help bring more new books to children in need. Pi Beta Phi's commitment to literacy began nearly 100 years ago with the 1912 founding of the Pi Beta Phi Settlement School which brought education, economic development and health care to residents of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Throughout its history, the Fraternity and its members have consistently worked to remove the barrier of illiteracy. Today, Pi Beta Phi has more than 150,000 members, including 131 active chapters on college campuses in the United States and Canada and over 330 alumnae groups worldwide.During the 2007-2008 academic year, Pi Beta Phi is the premier sponsor of The Literacy Site, www.theliteracysite.com.
Throughout the month of September, First Book, Pi Beta Phi and The Literacy Site are hosting a Back to School Click Challenge to generate even more new books for the children we serve. If site visitors can generate 20,000 books in the month of September, First Book and Pi Beta Phi will donate an additional 20,000 new books to children in St. Louis, where Pi Beta Phi is headquartered. Throughout the year, Pi Beta Phi chapters and clubs will also be reaching out to existing community literacy programs to connect them with First Book and hosting fund-raisers including First Book Speed Read events.
First Book is thrilled to be partnering with Pi Beta Phi to provide new books to the children who need them most.
 Goody's Family Clothing Supports First Book. On Saturday, September 22nd, Goody's Family Clothing , with stores in 21 states nationwide, is supporting First Book through the sale of 25% Savings Day Passes. Each Savings Day Pass will be sold for $5 and all funds will be donated to First Book. First Book is excited to be partnering with Goody's to get more books into the hands of kids in need.
Spotlight of the Month:
First Book would like to congratulate First Book-Greater Akron Chairman Chuck Bell for being the recipient of this month's Volunteer Spotlight Award. Chuck is selflessly committed to First Book's mission and his enthusiasm in helping others is contagious. We've been told that Chuck's enthusiasm "spreads like wildfire!", that he is an "awesome leader", and that he makes "everyone on (the) board feel important." Chuck is a collaborative leader who readily praises the skills and contributions of each Board member. He gives unselfishly and thinks nothing of driving six hours to pick up books after working into the middle of the night. Chuck Bell's boundless energy and commitment to First Book have helped bring countless books to the children of Greater Akron. Congratulations Mr. Bell! Well deserved and thank you!
Help us recognize the accomplishments of individuals and Advisory Boards by nominating your Board - or other members - for a Spotlight Award. Spotlight Awards will be posted on the First Book Blog, included in the ABs-in-Action, and highlighted on the Online Resource Center. Please use the nomination formon the Online Resource Center to nominate your Advisory Board, your Board's chair, or other Board members. It's a wonderful opportunity to receive national recognition among your First Book peers, and a great way for all of us to say thank you for a job well done!
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