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Seventh Ward Elementary Library Receives $50,000
Grant
First Lady Laura
Bush visited Louisiana on Wednesday to announce $500,000 in grants
to help school libraries wiped out by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Bush, a former librarian and public school teacher announced the
grants at Chalmette High School in St. Bernard Parish. The money
will go to seven public and private schools in Louisiana and three
schools in Mississippi.
“Rebuilt schools will
bring children back to schools, and rebuilt schools will help bring
families back to the revitalized Gulf Coast.” Mrs. Bush said. The
money is coming from the Laura Bush Foundation’s Gulf Coast Library
Recovery Initiative.
Time Inc. chairman
and CEO Ann Moore announced her company is offering magazines to
every school that gets a grant from the foundation and with German
media giant Bertlesmann AG, also will provide books.
Seventh Ward’s
librarian Joyce Gaspard applied for the grant in March. In April,
members of the foundation came to Seventh Ward to interview her and
to visit the school. Late last week, Mrs. Gaspard received a call
from the foundation that her library would be receiving a grant in
the amount of $50,000 to purchase new books for the library that was
destroyed by Hurricane Rita. On Friday Mrs. Gaspard received the
invitation to be present for the announcement being made by Mrs.
Bush on Wednesday, May 3rd at Chalmette High School.
Mrs. Gaspard, Mrs. Dubois, principal of Seventh Ward, Mr. Robert
Rizzuto, Assistant Superintendent, and Alex Detraz, student at
Seventh Ward attended the event.
Mr. Paine, chairman
of the Recovery Initiative will be meeting with Mrs. Gaspard and
other grant receiving librarians later this month to help them in
the spending of the grant money.
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