Penny drive totals $1,831 for libraries

The Reading Bear and the kids at Vicki Hatley’s Daycare in Colfax again topped group donations in the penny drive.

Friends of Whitman County Library collected $1,831 in coins during the 2017 penny drive in celebration of National Library Week.

Each library branch designated a special project for the money collected, with funds being used for everything from summer reading goodies to library projects.

Many groups, including daycares and classes in several grade schools, made a strong showing in their efforts to win prizes and a celebration party for the most coins collected.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country.

Whitman County Library began commemorating the event with a penny drive in 2006 with participation from all 14 library locations.