WHO:

VisitLEX, Hank the Horse®

WHAT:

VisitLEX is proud to announce a charitable initiative to distribute children’s books to 300 young readers via local libraries, in collaboration with Hank the Horse®. A total of 150 bags filled with books and school supplies will be donated to the Marksbury Family Branch of the Lexington Public Library. (The other 150 will be donated to the Boyle County Library.)

Hank the Horse® will deliver the books during the event.

The donation and assembly of the book bags occurred recently at the Meeting Planners International, World Education Conference, where meeting planners gathered from across the globe. Attendees donated books and had the opportunity to meet Hank the Horse® during the event. The VisitLEX team also purchased Hank’s storybook, Be Like Hank, which will be included in the donation. For Hank’s Sake is a nonprofit organization that has a literacy excellence program called Pages for a Purpose. Pages for a Purpose Literacy Excellence Program draws inspiration from the impactful 1935 Packhorse Library Program, aiming to improve literacy rates and provide access to books for children. Hank’s storybook and his library visits help to carry on this mission.

WHEN:

5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 26

WHERE:

Marksbury Family Branch of the Lexington Public Library, 2197 Versailles Road

WHY:

In 2022, in the Fayette County Public Schools, 58 percent of children entered kindergarten not ready to learn. That’s the worst percentage on record for the county. Literacy is the foundation of learning, and access to books is critical.