Link to Libraries sponsor event to ease MCAS jitters
March 30, 2023
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Students at the Milton Bradley Elementary School in Springfield had a special visitor Thursday afternoon. The students were getting ready to show what they know in the upcoming MCAS tests.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno provided some encouragement to students at the Mulberry Street school at a Link to Libraries sponsored event. The mayor read the students a book about taking a test and spoke to them about overcoming their jitters.
“I get butterflies in my stomach too, and I told them you are going to be a little nervous before the test, but transfer those butterflies in your stomach to adrenaline. I know you can, and will do it. You know what you know, and you can prove it on on the MCAS test that you take,” expressed Sarno.
Students were in high spirits; cheering and waving creative handmade signs covered in colorful words of encouragement. Principal Kristen Hughes also gave a student an award for outstanding performance on last year’s MCAS test.
Link to Libraries has given out more than one million books, many to Springfield public schools.
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SPRINGFIELD, MA – On Thursday, April 9th, Link to Libraries hosted its second Celebrity Bartending event at The Student Prince and Fort in Springfield, raising a record breaking $29,000.00 in support of their mission to increase underserved children’s access to books at school and at home. These funds will enable Link to Libraries to purchase more than 7,000 new books for children and schools in need across Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. “We were absolutely blown away by how the Western Massachusetts community showed up in support of children in need at this event. It was a packed house from start to finish,” said Laurie Flynn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Link to Libraries. “We are so incredibly grateful to our amazing team of bartenders who raised record funds and brought in over 200 independent donors. It was wonderful to be able to come together as a community and to celebrate this important work. It takes a village, and our village showed up in spades!” In addition to tips for the bartenders, Link to Libraries also raised funds through the sale tickets of raffle items generously donated by MGM Springfield, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Max Restaurant Group, Callaway Golf, and The Student Prince and Fort. Michelle Abdow and Sue Spiry from Market Mentors along with Janine and Jay Queenin of Specialty Bolt and Screw raised close to $13,000. The race was too close to call, so on behalf of each of the winning teams, Link to Libraries will donate 100 new books to both Springfield’s Hiram Dorman and Mary Pottenger elementary schools. Both Market Mentors and Specialty Bolt & Screw generously sponsor those schools through Link to Libraries’ Community Book Link Sponsorship Program. Other bartenders included: Crystal Neuhauser (UMass Amherst Foundation); Jennifer McGrath (MGM Springfield); Nikki Burnett and Amy Stec (Educare Springfield); Ryan McCollum (RMC Strategies); Kristin Fitzpatrick (William Raveis Realty); Juan LaTorre III (Verizon); Kathy Martin (Glenmeadow); Andrea Hicks-Martin (Elms College); and Michelle and Ben Sullivan (Balise Auto Group). Tim Cullinan of The New System provided music for the event, and Chris Marion of Chris Marion Photography captured the evening in photos. Both generously donated their time and services. About Link to Libraries Link to Libraries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to distribute new books to school and home libraries in need. By increasing a child’s access to books, Link to Libraries strives to enhance the language and literacy skills of children of all cultural backgrounds. To date, Link to Libraries has donated over one million new books and sponsors 70 schools in need throughout Western Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Boston.
"Link to Libraries" coming to Boston after donating over 1 million books to kids in need Laurie Flynn of Link to Libraries talks about the organization's efforts to get books into the hands of children. View WBZ News CBS Boston story below.
Link to Libraries CEO and President Laurie Flynn was honored to sit down with Patrick Berry of 22News for an in-depth interview about Link to Libraries and its impact in the community.
SPRINGFIELD, MA – On Thursday, April 9th, Link to Libraries hosted its second Celebrity Bartending event at The Student Prince and Fort in Springfield, raising a record breaking $29,000.00 in support of their mission to increase underserved children’s access to books at school and at home. These funds will enable Link to Libraries to purchase more than 7,000 new books for children and schools in need across Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. “We were absolutely blown away by how the Western Massachusetts community showed up in support of children in need at this event. It was a packed house from start to finish,” said Laurie Flynn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Link to Libraries. “We are so incredibly grateful to our amazing team of bartenders who raised record funds and brought in over 200 independent donors. It was wonderful to be able to come together as a community and to celebrate this important work. It takes a village, and our village showed up in spades!” In addition to tips for the bartenders, Link to Libraries also raised funds through the sale tickets of raffle items generously donated by MGM Springfield, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Max Restaurant Group, Callaway Golf, and The Student Prince and Fort. Michelle Abdow and Sue Spiry from Market Mentors along with Janine and Jay Queenin of Specialty Bolt and Screw raised close to $13,000. The race was too close to call, so on behalf of each of the winning teams, Link to Libraries will donate 100 new books to both Springfield’s Hiram Dorman and Mary Pottenger elementary schools. Both Market Mentors and Specialty Bolt & Screw generously sponsor those schools through Link to Libraries’ Community Book Link Sponsorship Program. Other bartenders included: Crystal Neuhauser (UMass Amherst Foundation); Jennifer McGrath (MGM Springfield); Nikki Burnett and Amy Stec (Educare Springfield); Ryan McCollum (RMC Strategies); Kristin Fitzpatrick (William Raveis Realty); Juan LaTorre III (Verizon); Kathy Martin (Glenmeadow); Andrea Hicks-Martin (Elms College); and Michelle and Ben Sullivan (Balise Auto Group). Tim Cullinan of The New System provided music for the event, and Chris Marion of Chris Marion Photography captured the evening in photos. Both generously donated their time and services. About Link to Libraries Link to Libraries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to distribute new books to school and home libraries in need. By increasing a child’s access to books, Link to Libraries strives to enhance the language and literacy skills of children of all cultural backgrounds. To date, Link to Libraries has donated over one million new books and sponsors 70 schools in need throughout Western Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Boston.
"Link to Libraries" coming to Boston after donating over 1 million books to kids in need Laurie Flynn of Link to Libraries talks about the organization's efforts to get books into the hands of children. View WBZ News CBS Boston story below.
Link to Libraries CEO and President Laurie Flynn was honored to sit down with Patrick Berry of 22News for an in-depth interview about Link to Libraries and its impact in the community.
We asked our expert Laurie Flynn, President and CEO of Link to Libraries, to help us come up with some creative ways to make reading fun!
Link to Libraries, a non-profit organization that provides millions of books to children received a generous donation from Balise Toyota in West Springfield.
(Western Mass News) Getting Answers: April 20 Dave Madsen, thank you for having us to talk about all things Link to Libraries, including our upcoming gala and the launch of the Stephen Kaplan & Susan Jaye-Kaplan Community Legacy Fund! What a treat to have a longer format interview and to be able to cover so much! We are so grateful to you and to our media sponsor Western Mass News. (Note to viewers - you can fast forward through what would have been the ad space to see the full interview!) View Video on Western Mass News
