Be Part of our Book Olympics Team!

What: Book Olympics is the 2024 RIF NOVA fun- and fund-raiser to provide books for Northern Virginia children. Help us make a difference in the life of a child!

When: How about Giving Tuesday!

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving -- Tuesday, December 3 -- would be a GREAT time to buy books for RIF NOVA kids! Hope you will help then -- or any time!

How: Be part of our giving team! Our most critical need is funding! We supply one new book each to 20,000 NOVA children through our Books for Keeps program. At $4.00 per book, that's a LOT of money to raise each year. Click here to donate! (We are very thankful to those who have already given!)

Be part of our Book Olympics fun-raising team, too!

Send us a photo and a sports-related story to add to our Book Olympics Story Board. It can be a personal story focusing on your own or a family member's athletic experience or a tribute to a real-life or fictional athlete you admire. This page is waiting for YOU and your story! Click here to learn more. Note: The DEADLINE for submission is December 6. Winners of a book store gift certificate will be announced in the December RIF RAP. The pics below might get your creative sports storytelling juices going!

Meet Sports Book Author Fred Bowen!

In keeping with our Book Olympics sports theme, our Celebrating Local Authors page features DMV author Fred Bowen. This lawyer turned KidsPost columnist turned book author has written 29 books about basketball, soccer, baseball, and football, with another on the way in 2025! He writes books mainly for boys. "I'm trying to reach boys through sports," he noted in a RIF NOVA interview, "because boys read much less than girls. I want to convey the idea that it's fun to read a book and get lost in it." Click here to learn more about this prodigious local author!

Fred Bowen also participated in the RIF NOVA Authors in Our Schools program. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in the Patrick Henry K-8 School's Avid Program got a hands-on lesson in the "messy" process of writing books. The middle schoolers engaged in a lively Q&A as the author showed his idea notebook and made a step by step list of how he does his work. After their sessions, each student received an autographed book!

Every "Giving Season" (November – New Year’s), the Arlington Community Foundation hosts the Nonprofit Holiday Wish Catalog featuring grant ideas of local nonprofits with wishes of up to $5,000 each.

RIF NOVA has been accepted this season and is requesting funding to continue our very successful Authors in Our Schools program. This is yet another way to support RIF NOVA programming!

AES and Budding Builders at Barcroft Elementary

Fourth grade students at Arlington's Barcroft Elementary School -- many clad in their PJs because it was "Pajama Day" -- had a ball as Arlington-based energy company AES facilitated a wind turbine building project. AES volunteer staff members showed up in full force on October 15 to teach kids about energy. Around the classrooms, children were heard saying, "I never knew solar panels could produce energy, and now I do!" and "I learned where energy comes from!" And then they went to work -- applying their new knowledge and their creativity to build mini-turbines AND works of art!

Each child chose a STEM-related book and book bag provided by AES. Upon getting his book, one child said, "Reading really is fundamental. It tells you stories. I cannot live without books!" We, at RIF NOVA, totally agree!!! We are very grateful to AES for continuing this active learning project for area students. More pics? They're here!

Books for Keeps Program Updates!

Books for Keeps distributions have begun in many RIF NOVA schools and programs. Your dollars fund new books for children who need them the most! And you can see from these photos that the distributions are full of active learning and active fun! Find details by clicking here.

Arlington's Teen Parenting Fall Festival

"Pandamonium" at Arlington's Even Start Program

Halloween Happiness at ACCA

"Fall into Books" at PWC's West Gate Elementary

Your funds help with all these programs and MORE! In addition to online donations, below are some other ways to give!

Send a check:



Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. 

P.O. Box 7012

Arlington, VA 22207-0012

From now through January 15, 2025, Federal employees and retirees can support RIF NOVA through the Combined Federal Campaign. We are #18818.

If you are required to take a distribution from your IRA, consider RIF NOVA for your RMD and reduce your taxes -- while benefiting local children at the same time! Learn more by clicking here.

Thank you for any donation -- no matter how big or small!

Thank you for being part of the RIF NOVA community!

Books change lives!

RIF of NOVA | info@rifnova.org | www.rifnova.org

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