How it all began...
I had just moved to Cary, NC in June, 2004, and since we had travelled around alot before that, I hadn't had a real birthday party. This year I could, but since I hadn't been in Cary long, mom decided I could invite anyone and everyone, but couldn't ask for gifts, but used books. We had the party at White Tiger Taekwondo. That year there was a major flood in the western part of North Carolina, and since we had lived in that area briefly several years before the books collected were sent out to benefit the Friends of Baucombe County Librairies used book sale.
2005 - 2nd Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info: As I was was watching the news,
information about Hurricane Katrina was being reported. I asked if that was a t.v. show or if it was real. When my mom said
it was real, I said "that's where my books need to go this year! Since the pile of books we received the year before almost was as tall
I was, our goal was to get a pile as tall I was! I had started school at Sterling Montessori Academy and Charter School and we
found the Audubon School in New Orleans which was a k-8 montessori charter school. We had an indoor pool party with a shark theme.
It took a while to get the books to them--they had to wait until they could get back in once the flooding receded and repairs were made,
but they really appreciated the books I sent.
2006 3rd Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info:
I had made a friend and we went bowling together. Afterwards I found out that he was
blind and had Batten Disease. The books I collected that year, I sold at a craftshow
fundraiser for Batten Disease Research for a dime an ounce and donated the money received
to the cause. Alot of people gave me more than a dime an ounce!
2007 - 4th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info: We had a
mini-golf party and it just made sense to donate the money to First Tee of Wake County since I was an active participant in the program.
2008 - 5th Annual Jared and Friends"Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info:
I had a friend at school whose mom worked at UNC Children's Hospital and mentioned
that they always could use books for the children at the hospital. We arranged to deliver
them and when we arrived, the woman came out expecting a coupl of books.
She went back and got a wagon to take them in.
2009 - 6th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive Info: There was a new classroom at
Sterling which needed reading material for the students, so we didn't have to travel far to deliver the books this year!
2010 - 7th Annual Jared and Friends'"Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive Info:
My mom had battled through breast cancer and while I was at the NC Cancer Center,
I noticed there were alot of books for adults, but not so much for kids who were there
waiting for their parents who were getting treatment. So I took them there. They were
happy to receive them and even included a picture of me in their newsletter!
2011 - 8th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info: Hurricane season was not kind
to NC Coastal libraries. This year the books were sold and carpets for the children's library area were purchased and delivered
so that kids could have a clean place to sit and read books while visiting the library!
2012 - 9th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info:
This year the books collected again benefitted the First Tee of the Triangle.
2013 - 10th Anniversary. This year I bought a steel drum that was made for me by Wilton Dubois. He had played at Liberty Arts
and I was really interested and contacted him after the event. After I met him, and he was super enthusiastic about me learning to play
the steel drums and sharing his love of the history and music, I decided that this year's book drive would benefit his non-profit...
Resounding Steel, Inc. He even played at my birthday luncheon and we all played the steel drums. It was a great time.
This year I collected DVD's and video games, so while we didn't get as much height as in past years, Resounding Steel, Inc.
received a record donation!
2014 - 11th Anniversary. This year as I have been a participant with the Triangle Youth Symphony for the past 2 years, I felt it only made sense that I should give back to this awesome program!
2015 - 12th Anniversary. This year there was a new student at my school who suffers with Juvenile Diabetes. We organized a group to walk with the local JDRF walk and the books collected benefited this worthy charity!
2016 - 13th Anniversary. I served as an intern this summer and learned many of the aspects of the program, but the thing that stuck with me the most was that while they only charge $65 a session, it actually costs $300 to provide the programming. They rely on gifts and donations to make up the difference and grow their program. My goal was to ranse enough money to provide a scholarship for someone that wanted to experience this program for themselves! I am happy to report that I reached that goal!
I am looking forward to continuing to do this annual book drive, but this is my final year of high school and I have been accepted at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL as a Sport Management major in September, 2017. Over the years, I have really grown a lot and needed all my friends to help me reach my goal each year. Thank you to everyone who has supported me!
information about Hurricane Katrina was being reported. I asked if that was a t.v. show or if it was real. When my mom said
it was real, I said "that's where my books need to go this year! Since the pile of books we received the year before almost was as tall
I was, our goal was to get a pile as tall I was! I had started school at Sterling Montessori Academy and Charter School and we
found the Audubon School in New Orleans which was a k-8 montessori charter school. We had an indoor pool party with a shark theme.
It took a while to get the books to them--they had to wait until they could get back in once the flooding receded and repairs were made,
but they really appreciated the books I sent.
2006 3rd Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info:
I had made a friend and we went bowling together. Afterwards I found out that he was
blind and had Batten Disease. The books I collected that year, I sold at a craftshow
fundraiser for Batten Disease Research for a dime an ounce and donated the money received
to the cause. Alot of people gave me more than a dime an ounce!
2007 - 4th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info: We had a
mini-golf party and it just made sense to donate the money to First Tee of Wake County since I was an active participant in the program.
2008 - 5th Annual Jared and Friends"Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info:
I had a friend at school whose mom worked at UNC Children's Hospital and mentioned
that they always could use books for the children at the hospital. We arranged to deliver
them and when we arrived, the woman came out expecting a coupl of books.
She went back and got a wagon to take them in.
2009 - 6th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive Info: There was a new classroom at
Sterling which needed reading material for the students, so we didn't have to travel far to deliver the books this year!
2010 - 7th Annual Jared and Friends'"Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive Info:
My mom had battled through breast cancer and while I was at the NC Cancer Center,
I noticed there were alot of books for adults, but not so much for kids who were there
waiting for their parents who were getting treatment. So I took them there. They were
happy to receive them and even included a picture of me in their newsletter!
2011 - 8th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info: Hurricane season was not kind
to NC Coastal libraries. This year the books were sold and carpets for the children's library area were purchased and delivered
so that kids could have a clean place to sit and read books while visiting the library!
2012 - 9th Annual Jared and Friends "Growing to New Heights" Used Book Drive info:
This year the books collected again benefitted the First Tee of the Triangle.
2013 - 10th Anniversary. This year I bought a steel drum that was made for me by Wilton Dubois. He had played at Liberty Arts
and I was really interested and contacted him after the event. After I met him, and he was super enthusiastic about me learning to play
the steel drums and sharing his love of the history and music, I decided that this year's book drive would benefit his non-profit...
Resounding Steel, Inc. He even played at my birthday luncheon and we all played the steel drums. It was a great time.
This year I collected DVD's and video games, so while we didn't get as much height as in past years, Resounding Steel, Inc.
received a record donation!
2014 - 11th Anniversary. This year as I have been a participant with the Triangle Youth Symphony for the past 2 years, I felt it only made sense that I should give back to this awesome program!
2015 - 12th Anniversary. This year there was a new student at my school who suffers with Juvenile Diabetes. We organized a group to walk with the local JDRF walk and the books collected benefited this worthy charity!
2016 - 13th Anniversary. I served as an intern this summer and learned many of the aspects of the program, but the thing that stuck with me the most was that while they only charge $65 a session, it actually costs $300 to provide the programming. They rely on gifts and donations to make up the difference and grow their program. My goal was to ranse enough money to provide a scholarship for someone that wanted to experience this program for themselves! I am happy to report that I reached that goal!
I am looking forward to continuing to do this annual book drive, but this is my final year of high school and I have been accepted at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL as a Sport Management major in September, 2017. Over the years, I have really grown a lot and needed all my friends to help me reach my goal each year. Thank you to everyone who has supported me!
Jared and Friends
"Growing to New Heights" Annual Used Book Drive
"Growing to New Heights" Annual Used Book Drive
