Bookstores Planning Special Community Events in Conjunction With Fire on the Mountain Fundraiser

Nationally, booksellers are continuing to promote the special Book Sense/History Channel fundraiser -- "The Fire on the Mountain, Campaign for Communities: Firefighter Fundraiser" promotion, which began on September 9. The centerpiece of the promotion is an in-store fundraising campaign to benefit local firefighters, and the displays are using materials that tie in with the October 28 History Channel documentary based on Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire by John N. Maclean (Washington Square Press). The special campaign runs until October 25.

In addition to the theme displays, many booksellers are also working with firefighters and others in their communities to organize and host special events in conjunction with the Book Sense/History Channel fundraiser. In Durango, Colorado, Maria's Bookshop -- together with the Durango Public Library and the Durango Herald, the town's daily paper -- has planned a talk on October 3 by author John Maclean. The author event will be held at Fort Lewis College in Durango, and the store is also scheduling a screening of the History Channel documentary during the fundraising period.

Durango was one of the Western areas severely affected by this summer's wildfires, noted the bookstore's Danielle Freeman. The fires raged on approximately 80,000 acres and reached the outskirts of Durango, forcing many evacuations and destroying homes and other structures. The bookstore's Peter Schertz noted in an e-mail that "we have coordinated activities with our local Animas Fire Department, which has put in a big summer fighting wildfires. They are offering lots of props for our displays as well as photographs of our recent fires. They will also schedule a presentation on the fires to promote Fire on the Mountain."

In addition to the funds collected in stores nationally, one community will be chosen to receive an additional $2,500 award for their local firefighters, courtesy of The History Channel, with participation from Washington Square Press. However, to be considered for the community award, booksellers must update ABA regarding their displays by going to http://www.bookweb.org/read/5745 and filling in a short registration form.

All stores that are planning special events in conjunction with the Book Sense/History Channel fundraiser promotion are encouraged to e-mail details to Dan Cullen, BTW editor, at dan@bookweb.org.

The other ongoing national promotion is BookSense.com's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ... The Quest Continues sweepstakes. Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin with participation by New Line Pictures, the campaign lets stores offer their customers a fun contest in which they identify a mystery Tolkien character and answer Two Towers trivia to earn entries for the chance to win a DVD/Home Entertainment Prize Package, a full Tolkien library, movie memorabilia, and more. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers opens December 19.

All stores that requested the special in-store materials and have mounted in-store displays are eligible for a drawing for bookstore prizes. The winning store will receive a trip for two to the U.S. special screening event of the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in December, as well as a full Tolkien library. Participating booksellers also get the chance to win a framed autographed movie poster and a LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring CD and new LOTR editions. (Winning bookstores will be asked to verify their Tolkien display, including contest easel.)

Stores should send an e-mail to Meg Smith, business development and marketing manager of BookSense.com, at meg@booksense.com, to confirm that their displays are up.