Interactors at Cornwall College gather round and discuss their plans for spring cleaning and bringing all their old textbooks to contribute to the Race Toi Literacy Book Drive Project. Pictured left to right Rotarian Natasha Parchment-Clarke; Island Books @ Whitter Shopping Village owner Rayer Headly; Interact President Norman Malcolm (back row); Head Boy Malike Kellier ; Ivan Godfrey; Odaine Thomas; teacher Nadine Ellis Hall
On Monday 29 March, Rotarian Natasha Parchment-Clarke and Rayer Headly, owner of Island Books at Whitter Shopping Village, visited schools in and around the second city starting the challenge that could end in a Guinness Book of World Record being set.
Island Books at Whitter Shopping Village in association with The Rotary Club of Montego Bay, partnering with the Montego Bay EarlyAct Clubs have joined the international race to beat the Guinness Book of World Record set in 2008 at Rotary International’s convention in California where 242,624 books were donated to charity in a 7-day period.
For the month of April, books will be brought to schools by students, teachers and their families and Island Books will collect, count and store until May 1 – 7 , the official 7-day period during which donated books will be handed over to Rotary Clubs all over Jamaica to set the record.
To spice things up island style, Island Books has offered to donate a lap top to the school who collects the most books. The books can be of any kind - new, used, fiction, children’s novels, adults, cook-books, textbooks, etc.
The books collected will be donated to The Jamaica Library Service and the lap-top computer presented to the winning school on Teacher’s Day 5 May.
Naz Children’s Centre had a motivated principal, Alixann Narcisse-Campbell who quipped: “you might as well leave the lap top here – we have awesome parents at this school and with their children’s encouragement I know we’ll win this challenge” ; Cornwall College Interactors embraced the challenge and pledged to spring clean their homes and bring in their old textbooks and more ; Heinz Simonitch received their flyers with enthusiasm and immediately students began chattering about how many books they would bring ; Mount Alvernia Prep’s Principal accepted the challenge and instead of a lap top requested a smart board which she enthusiastically detailed the wonders of; Greenwood Prep’s Principal and EarlyAct co-ordinator eagerly took their box and happily reminisced about the successful coin-drive carried out in September 2009 where over J$ 200, 000 was collected by Montego Bay EarlyAct clubs ; Montego Bay Prep‘s EarlyAct teacher co-ordinator Mrs. Hudson was found at the desktop computer in the main office of the school and was determined that her vibrant club would win the lap top – it would save her coming to the office all the time she joked ; Edwards Prep high energy parent Sophia Alexandropolous was as enthusiastic as ever, promising to rally the troops during devotions and assemblies before and after the Easter break ; John Rollins Success Primary’s Principal looked forward to the book drive and more so , forming an Early-Act Club at her school in the new term.
EarlyAct teacher co-ordinator ; Principal and members of the EarlyAct Club of Greenwood Prep receive their collection box from Rotarian Natasha Parchment-Clarke; Island Books @ Whitter Shopping Village owner Rayer Headly. As the trip was concluded, Lucas & Savannah Clarke, 2 EarlyActors and children of Rotarian Natasha, who assisted with the tour of schools mused: “If every student of Success Primary brings 1 book , we would collect over 1,000 books ; 2 books each, that’d be 2,000 books – WOW!” , and on that note the Race To Literacy Book Drive Project began in Montego Bay :
“W-O-W”.
Island Books @ Whitter Shopping Village owner Rayer Headly, Rotarian Natasha Parchment-Clarke and EarlyAct teacher co-ordinator of Montego Bay Prep Mrs. Hudson pose in front of the school’s showcase of trophies and medals with their box for the book drive. Article and photos contributed by Natasha Parchment Clarke (c)
EarlyAct teacher co-ordinator ; Principal and members of the EarlyAct Club of Greenwood Prep receive their collection box from Rotarian Natasha Parchment-Clarke; Island Books @ Whitter Shopping Village owner Rayer Headly. 
Island Books @ Whitter Shopping Village owner Rayer Headly, Rotarian Natasha Parchment-Clarke and EarlyAct teacher co-ordinator of Montego Bay Prep Mrs. Hudson pose in front of the school’s showcase of trophies and medals with their box for the book drive. 
The day after the earthquake struck Haiti, a young 7 year old Montegonian began thinking about how he could personally help children just like himself who had been affected by the tragedy.
The Rotary Club of Montego Bay forms Montego Bay Christian Academy Early Act Club. Read more here.
The Early Act Club of the Greenwood Preparatory School carried out its wonderful community project on the 2nd of April 2009 by paying a very special visit to the Eldercare Nursing Home in Wiltshire, Trelawny.
