In what has become one of Bank Rhode Island’s (BankRI) signature community efforts, Bank customers from across the state embraced the opportunity to help put free books in the hands of children by donating 2,339 books during the Bank’s recent Book Drive in partnership with Books Are Wings. Held throughout the month of March to coincide with National Reading Month, the results of the seventh annual drive bring the overall total to nearly 15,000 books since inception.

“We could not be more grateful to the customers and staff who step up, year after year, and generously donate books to children who will treasure them,” said Patricia O’Donnell-Saracino, Vice President of Community Relations for BankRI. “Giving a child the gift of reading is not only crucial to their success in the classroom, but is a gift they will keep throughout their life. Our thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s collection a success.”

All of the books, which were collected at each of BankRI’s 20 branch locations throughout March, have been sorted and prepared for their new homes by BankRI volunteers. Through the Bank’s partnership with Books Are Wings, the books will soon be distributed to children at Margaret I. Robertson Elementary School in Central Falls and Leviton Dual Language School in Providence.