photo: Lance Mercer

Band Plays to Benefit John Stanford Book Fund

Proving that books matter as much as tunes, famed band Pearl Jam has been a strong supporter of the effort to improve Seattle's schools. One of John Stanford's first moves upon taking office as was to initiate a community-wide reading campaign involving schools, volunteers, businesses and community organizations. The mission of the campaign is simple: to have every student reading at or above grade level and to involve the greater Seattle community in supporting student's ability to read. Part of this means getting Seattle public school libraries are up-to-date books and materials, which, like many public libraries, they are severely lacking.

Last year, Seattle-native band, Pearl Jam, boosted this effort by donating $78,000 to the book fund -- $2,000 to each of 39 elementary schools most in need of funds. The donation came from the proceeds of a sold-out hometown concert, performed as a benefit for a number of Seattle charities. The band has previously donated $10,000 to the libraries. For more information, contact the Stanford Book Fund, c/o Alliance for Education, 500 Union Street, Ste. 320, Seattle WA 98101-2332.

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