Monster Yogurt to hold ninth-annual book drive for local kids

Monster Yogurt and its partners are getting ready for the annual book drive benefitting local kids.

The store’s owner, Ava Skipworth, started the book drive nine years ago, one year after the Casa Linda store opened.

Growing up, Skipworth couldn’t read. It wasn’t until high school when she was diagnosed with dyslexia and a teacher began helping her every day after school. That was the first time she ever finished a book.

“If you can read, you can do anything,” she says.

In the first year, about 250 children’s books were collected and donated to a local school. Skipworth, who lives in the Claremont area, had to buy books so every student could have one.

Five years ago, a group called Moms Out Marketing got involved and expanded the drive to include more drop-off locations.

Last year, 4,000 books were donated to neighborhood elementary schools, Dallas Art Therapy, Anne’s Place, little libraries and more.

Books may be dropped off at Monster Yogurt (at 9540 Garland Road and at 1360 W. Campbell Road in Richardson) throughout February. One ounce of yogurt can be exchanged for each book donated, up to 5 ounces.

Event organizers are still compiling a list of locations where books can be donated. They’ll be added to the Facebook event page.

Then on March 2, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, the books will be delivered to various locations throughout our area in support of National Education Association’s Read Across America.

Skipworth says they hope to meet and exceed the number of books donated last year.

“You have to learn to learn,” Skipworth says. “Then anything is possible.”