NAPLES — Books for Collier Kids (BCK), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a steady stream of new books to children in low-income families throughout Collier County, will partner with Collier County Sheriff’s Office to distribute books to children during the final two Hot Summer Nights 2023 events set for Thursdays, July 20 and July 27, 2023. (Photo available upon request).

A volunteer from Books for Collier Kids will be on-hand to distribute free books to children at the Hot Summer Nights, include games, food and fun for families and friends. The final two free events take place from 6:00pm – 8:30pm on:

· July 20, 2023, at Marco Island Mackle Park

· July 27, 2023, at Everglades City Park

Details Sergeant Natalie Ashby – 3729, Diversity Outreach Coordinator, Community & Diversity Services Bureau, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, “Our collaboration with Books for Collier Kids has become part of CCSO’s promise to protect and serve our community by ensuring children have the basic literacy skills to succeed in school and life, reducing their risk for academic failure, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, unemployment, low productivity and welfare dependency.”

Currently, BCK distributes 100,000 books to some 7,400 children each school year. This upcoming year, the charity will add Pelican Marsh Elementary, Vineyards Elementary and Tommie Barfield Elementary schools, ensuring children in 32 Collier County elementary schools have books to read, share and cherish for life.

In addition to participating in Hot Summer Nights 2023, BCK has also distributed 15,000+ new, age-appropriate books to Grace Place for Children & Families, YMCA of Marco Island and Naples, Boys & Girls Club (Naples and Immokalee), Guadalupe Center, Friends of Foster Children Forever, C’MON Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, Garguilo Education Center, Collier County Sheriff’s Department and Youth Haven to help offset summer slide.

Books for Collier Kids provides new books to children, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy: access to books. Launched in 2005 as First Book-Collier County, BCK has distributed more than 1.6 millionnew, high-quality, age-appropriate and personalized books to pre-K, kindergarten, first- and second-grade students in-need to enhance their literacy development. Based on economic need within individual schools, BCK is moving towards providing books to all pre-K through 2nd grade children.

For more information on Hot Summer Nights 2023, please call CCSO at 239.252.0144. For more information and to support Books for Collier Kids, please call Board Chair Sallie Williams at 239.394.4062, or visit www.BooksforCollierKids.org.