Back in 1961, a group of volunteers hosted a book market in Polo Park mall to raise some money for sick children. More than six decades later, that market has turned into the longest-running fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital, bringing in millions of dollars to date.
Thursday, volunteers were hard at work inside St. Vital Centre, preparing for the 65th Children’s Hospital Book Market. The milestone market will run from 10 a.m. on Friday to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with thousands of books up for grabs.
“We’ve been around for a long, long time,” said Carol Irving, the volunteer coordinator at the book market. “Over the years, we have raised well over $10 million in aid of sick children and also for research.”
The first market was held back in April 1961 at the Polo Park Shopping Centre, raising $1,500. The Children’s Hospital Foundation estimates that is the equivalent of $16,000 today.
Irving’s aunt was among those original Book Marketeers, and as a young child, Irving started to get involved as well.
It’s grown a lot since then. The market is so large, it takes four semi-trailers to move all the books to the mall for the market—not to mention all the volunteers who help unload them all.
It now brings in nearly $500,000 each year.
“Children’s Hospital Book Market has been able to survive, grow and thrive simply because of the donations and the support of the citizens of Manitoba and Winnipeg and beyond,” Irving said.
“Without their support buying books, and without their support donating books for 65 years, we would not have been able to raise $10 million, and I wouldn’t be standing here today, so we thank them all.”
You can read more fun facts about the market on the foundation’s website.
