RI Convention Sets Guinness World Record
LOS ANGELES (June 18, 2008) --
How many donated books does it take to set a world record? Answer: exactly 242,624.
That's the impressive total Rotary members scrambled to collect for the public school students of Southern California and
"This record demonstrated careful planning, creativity and a true commitment from the heart," Girton said, noting that Guinness World Records receives more than 60,000 applications a year from individuals and groups hoping for recognition. Of those, only three percent actually set world records.
At the invitation of the Southern California and Southern Nevada Rotary clubs hosting the convention, many of the nearly 20,000 registrants from more than 140 countries brought children's books representing their home cultures and languages for Rotary's Wide World of Books project. This international book drive, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times' Reading by 9 program, will benefit public school students in grades K-3 throughout the region, where studies show too many children read below grade level.
During the convention, a symbolic "mountain of books" in the Los Angeles Convention Center provided the backdrop for reading sessions allowing involving Rotary members, celebrities and other notables to interact with schoolchildren visiting on field trips.
"Our goal was to collect a quarter of a million books for our children," said local Rotary leader Ingo Werk, who chaired the project. "We did it, and I could not be more proud of our Rotary clubs and more grateful for the support we received from the public."
The book drive is just one example of the hundreds of literacy-related projects supported by Rotary clubs worldwide. The Rotary convention is the humanitarian service organization's most important meeting of the year, giving members from around the world an opportunity to plan service projects, share success stories and renew acquaintances.
Click HERE to see more coverage on Rotary's Wide World of Books on the RI website