PRESS RELEASE

Tell Asheville that books are important to you.

Big books. Little books. Books for children. Even banned and challenged books.

Join The POP Project this fall for “Paint the Town REaD.” Read from your favorite banned or challenged books at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville on Tuesday, October 2 from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm.

The POP Project is calling for participants to read for 22 minutes, or approximately 3,500 words, from the banned or challenged books of their choice. We plan to read around 70,000 words from banned text throughout the day.

The participation fee is $25. Have your friends and coworkers support you by pledging funds. All proceeds go to support local literacy efforts.

Interested? Download the registration form from the POP Project website [thepopproject.org] or Facebook page [facebook.com/popproject]. Registration form and fees due by Friday, September 14.

Banned Book Week is Sept 30 – Oct 6, 2012. This week celebrates the great literary works that have been banned or challenged around the world.

What is a banned or challenged book?

Chances are you have already read many of them. If you have enjoyed “The Catcher In The Rye” and “Farewell To Arms”, or books by Dr. Seuss and Kurt Vonnegut, then you’ve read banned and challenged books.

Sign up, grab your favorite authors, or choose from the POP Project’s available banned books, and meet us downtown. All participants will receive further directions after registration.

The POP Project recognizes the strong correlation between access to books and success in life. They work with other literacy and advocacy agents in Western North Carolina to donate books of all literacy levels to inmates, homeless populations, children with needs, and others.

The POP Project is an acronym for Pages Opening People. The 501(c)3 organization has donated thousands of books in Western North Carolina and across the Southeast. The nonprofit was founded in 2009.