Man donates more than 26,000 books to 'TV64 Books for Kids'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9’s “TV64 Books for Kids Collection Drive” is still going strong, and on Monday night, one man donated more than 26,000 books.

[READ MORE: 64U Books for Kids]

A box full of new children’s books would be, on its own, a great donation to the Channel 9 book collection, but on Monday, the station was given an entire warehouse full.

When Crews Walden, with C.D. Stampley Enterprises, called Channel 9, Eyewitness News employees jumped into action, including WSOC-TV general manager Cedric Thomas, loading up a truck with all kinds of wonderful stories, many of them in Spanish.

“It’s a win-win,” said Walden. “I’m glad they are being put to good use.”

Walden's company publishes mostly Bibles, but it has also published children's books. He said the books he donated have been sitting around for 4-10 years.

He needed to clear a warehouse out and his wife had an idea.

“My wife read about it, so we called Kevin (Campbell) and he said, ‘Yeah, we’d love it,’” Walden said.

“With our partnership -- our new station Telemundo Charlotte -- we can go interact with the Latin community with brand new books for these kids,” said WSOC Community Affairs Manager Kevin Campbell.

Soon, all those new books will be in the hands of children in the Charlotte community, eager to read, imagine and learn.

Channel 9’s partners, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, will help distribute all of the collected books to children across the area.

We will be hosting a special collection day at the Channel 9 studios on North Tryon Street on Wednesday. Join us from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Cox Media Group