Charlie Bari and Sawyer Lewis sell books to benefit the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Photo courtesy of Ashley Lewis.
The first time two Lakewood Elementary students had a book sale to raise money for Scottish Rite Hospital for Children didn’t go as planned.
Fifth-graders Sawyer Lewis and Charlie Bari, who are next-door neighbors, have collaborated before on initiatives to support organizations, said Ashley Lewis, Sawyer’s mother. A few weeks ago, they had a lemonade stand and donated $40 to the hospital.
They also do projects on their own. For example, a couple of years ago, Lewis had a lemonade stand to raise money for the American Heart Association.
Doing this kind of charitable work just comes naturally to the kids, Ashley said. And by watching the Lewis and Bari parents engage in other philanthropic efforts, including supporting local schools and PTAs at Lakewood and J.L. Long, Sawyer and Charlie are motivated to follow suit.
Spring break came, and the kids’ empty schedules allowed for an opportunity to raise money for Scottish Rite. Plus, Sawyer has an injured ankle, so a book sale in the front yard was an activity she could do outside.
Sawyer and Charlie sifted through the inventory of literature they had in their homes and placed their findings on a table outside: cookbooks, children’s books, novels for beach-reading and a few coffee table books.
Lewis posted a photo of the kids and their table on Facebook, along with an invitation for neighbors to stop by and purchase a book.
They sat outside for hours on March 13, selling books for $1 each. But no one came.
The kids aren’t giving up, though. They plan to set up the table again 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 19 at 6968 Bob O Link Dr.
