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Garfield Book Company raises Pennies for Peace
January 12, 2009
What is a penny worth to you? Most people living in the United States would agree that a penny is hardly worth one cent, if anything at all.
In Pakistan and Afghanistan, however, one penny is enough to buy a pencil. For children living in those countries, that single penny becomes their ticket to an education.
And while all of this may seem worlds apart from the Pacific Lutheran University community, Garfield Book Company at PLU has incorporated Pennies for Peace into their kickoff of Pierce County Reads. From Jan. 5 through Mar. 25, Garfield Book Company will donate $1 to Pennies for Peace for every copy sold of “Three Cups of Tea,” or “Listen to the Wind,” the children’s version of the same story.
Pennies for Peace, a program of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), strives to bring community-based education to impoverished children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. By promoting tolerance, respect and cooperation through literacy, Pennies for Peace provides these children with educational opportunities that will serve them well throughout their lives.
“Three Cups of Tea” is not only what some might call an adventure tale – it is the true story of Greg Mortenson, co-author of both stories.
After a failed attempt to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain located in Pakistan, Mortenson became lost until he wandered into a small village. As he was brought back to health, he noticed that the village was so poor that their most sophisticated education involved the children scratching their lessons in the dirt. After vowing to return and build a school, Mortenson began his fundraising efforts. While his first attempts did not generate a lot of funding, a donation from a group of elementary school students inspired adults to get involved as well.
Today, Mortenson has built 78 schools despite armed kidnapping, death threats and separations from his family.
Garfield Book Company is expecting related programming in March 2009, including a possible visit by the author. Anyone with questions about Garfield Book Company’s involvement with Pennies for Peace should contact Kelley Valdez at 253-535-7665 or valdezka@plu.edu.
Student employee Brielle Erickson compiled this report.
And while all of this may seem worlds apart from the Pacific Lutheran University community, Garfield Book Company at PLU has incorporated Pennies for Peace into their kickoff of Pierce County Reads. From Jan. 5 through Mar. 25, Garfield Book Company will donate $1 to Pennies for Peace for every copy sold of “Three Cups of Tea,” or “Listen to the Wind,” the children’s version of the same story.
Pennies for Peace, a program of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), strives to bring community-based education to impoverished children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. By promoting tolerance, respect and cooperation through literacy, Pennies for Peace provides these children with educational opportunities that will serve them well throughout their lives.
“Three Cups of Tea” is not only what some might call an adventure tale – it is the true story of Greg Mortenson, co-author of both stories.
After a failed attempt to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain located in Pakistan, Mortenson became lost until he wandered into a small village. As he was brought back to health, he noticed that the village was so poor that their most sophisticated education involved the children scratching their lessons in the dirt. After vowing to return and build a school, Mortenson began his fundraising efforts. While his first attempts did not generate a lot of funding, a donation from a group of elementary school students inspired adults to get involved as well.
Today, Mortenson has built 78 schools despite armed kidnapping, death threats and separations from his family.
Garfield Book Company is expecting related programming in March 2009, including a possible visit by the author. Anyone with questions about Garfield Book Company’s involvement with Pennies for Peace should contact Kelley Valdez at 253-535-7665 or valdezka@plu.edu.
Student employee Brielle Erickson compiled this report.