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Winnipeg Free Press

Birthday books

Crescentwood This is the year the baby turns 65! For volunteers at Children's Hospital Book Market, every day is cause for celebration. 'We have raised over 10 million dollars in aid of sick kids,' says Carol Irving, volunteer co-ordinator. 'I have observed the diligence and commitment of our volunteers as they work throughout the year to organise our sales, and I deeply value their contributions towards enhancing the health and well-being of children.' Supplied photo 'Teach Peace.' Timely words hand crafted on a book donated to Children's Hospital Book Market. The next opportunity for book aficionados is a pop-up sale at St. Vital Centre on Aug. 16 featuring mysteries, cookbooks, music and fiction. As the co-ordinator for the Found in a Book Project for Children's Hospital Book Market, I'm grateful to volunteers who find ephemera left in books and pass them on to me to create displays. Many fascinating things have been left between pages donated to help fund pediatric research, and programming such as the Child Life Program and the Family Information Library. Methodically precise yet artful, someone created a powerful message on a donated book using hundreds of colourful post-it tabs to say, 'Teach Peace.' The reaction from those who have seen the book has been a consortium of dropped jaws and is representative of surprises waiting for a volunteer opening a box or bag of donations. There have been many stories surrounding Manitoba's longest running fundraiser for Children's Hospital, first of its kind in Canada beginning in 1961, of selling gently used books. Elma Neufeld is the book market's longest serving volunteer for 51 years! Carol Irving, a living legend in book lore, began as a volunteer to become the unifying force as she coaches, problem solves, negotiates, organizes, trains volunteers and assists thousands of book lovers with bags and carts in tow who descend St. Vital Centre. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. Behind the scenes supporters include Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service and Firefighters' Burn Unit. Volunteers in their identifiable aprons also unpack boxes, set up the tables and keep those table replenished the minute a book is sold. The inventory is so large that it takes four semitrailers to transport pallets of books to St. Vital Centre. They also ring through purchases and help readers negotiate maps of the mall to find that perfect book. Cookbooks are hot sellers, Indigenous books sell out by noon the first day, and sci-fi, mysteries, fiction, poetry, art, sports, classics, travel and romance are just some of the 80 categories offered. This is Winnipeg's literary feel-good event. Affectionately known as our very own science fiction guru, Doug Holmes is a veritable fountain of information. Besides sorting, pricing, labelling and packing up boxes his organization skills are out of this world. He says, 'What differentiates the book market from all the other charities is that we do not ask for donations of money. People buy books that they want at a price they are willing to pay. Donations come from people giving us books that would otherwise end up in recycling.' 'Being at the book market is a real eye-opener,' says Harvey Jenkins award-winning haiku poet and volunteer. 'The variety and range of poets and poetry books donated continues to be truly inspiring. It is a real pleasure to hold these books in my hands, leaf through the pages to check their condition, visualize the book being at the next sale, and placing a price on each book. It's like giving these books another life.' Kim and Doug Peterson are just one example of the husband-wife teams who have worked together tirelessly behind the scenes twice a week and at every sale for the past ten years. Kim inspires other newly retired couples when she says, 'Who would have thought 'work' could be so much fun? Our lives before retirement began at 6 a.m., heading out the door in separate directions and spending every day in separate worlds. Now we volunteer together and have time to talk to each other and share the day. We meet wonderful people from every facet of life both while pricing and those who come to the sale. Together we interact with new people and spend much time getting recommendations about books and sharing our favourite books with others.' Just as we don't know who crafted the 'Teach Peace' message, we usually don't know who donated most of the books we receive. Opening a box or a bag is always a thrill as we never know what we're going to find. It's like your birthday every day and we appreciate your gifts to help Manitoba children. See you in August! Heather EmberleyCrescentwood community correspondent Heather Emberley is a community correspondent for Crescentwood. Email her at if you have a story suggestion. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.