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The Harry Potter Alliance and RIF Make Magic in Washington, D.C.!

Reading Is Fundamental was thrilled to partner with our book-loving friends at the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) this winter to host a national book drive to benefit one of our local RIF program sites. Through this impactful partnership, we were able to inspire a love of reading for hundreds of children! HPA volunteer, Jessica Rozycki, shares a recap here:

For over 10 years, The Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) has donated over 400,000 books to schools, libraries, and communities around the world. The HPA is a fan-run, fan-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes fans to take action for social justice and charity. Each year, we use our annual Accio Books campaign (named for the summoning spell in Harry Potter) to inspire fans to donate new and gently used books and get stories into the hands of everyone who needs them. 

While our 2020 campaign looked a little different - fewer in-person book count parties and a lot more donations by mail - we were thrilled to partner with Reading Is Fundamental when so many students are participating in virtual learning, with far fewer resources than usual.

Through RIF, the HPA met our new friends at Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington, D.C., one of RIF’s program sites and community members. At ABES, 450+ young students are currently participating in a hybrid program of virtual and in-person learning. Anne Beers and the HPA partnered to help make sure that every student - and even some of their preschool-aged siblings - had a new book to take home and grow their personal libraries. 

Even in the midst of a pandemic, Wizard Activists (the official term for HPA members!) opened their hearts and bookshelves to donate more than 1,735 books to ABES as well as schools, libraries, shelters, and children’s hospitals across the US!

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harry potter alliance accio books 2020 recipients

Accio Books is one of the HPA’s favorite campaigns because we know the power of a story. We’ve seen first-hand how access to stories ignites imagination and passion and inspires readers to create better futures for themselves and the world. Our favorite stories teach us to be compassionate, inspire us to fight for what’s right, and remind us, no matter who we are, that we are not alone. That’s why we do Accio Books year after year, and why we love partnering with Reading Is Fundamental to bring the power of story home to children across the U.S.!