Dreams to restore the library at Mary Buren Elementary School in Guadalupe are now a reality thanks to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which responded to a plea from teachers with $100,000 from Target’s Thanks A Billion campaign.
The show aired on May 22.
“Our students are so deserving of this very generous gift from Ellen,” Principal Jesely Alvarez said in a press release. “The level of quality, high-interest books and resources this funding will be able to provide for our library is going to really make a difference in raising student literacy skills and in continuing their passion for reading. We are forever grateful and still can’t believe how fortunate we are.”
The library was flooded and many of the 11,000 books, furniture, and other learning tools were lost. The staff discovered that the library was completely destroyed after they returned from winter break in December. The salvaged contents were moved to a temporary classroom.
Teachers Cathee Barkley and Ashley Thompson wrote a letter contacting the television show and explaining the circumstances. A crew from the show recently went to the school campus to document and film students, staff, parents, the school, and damages from the flood.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 4, 2015.