News & Media
Check out the latest news from Bernie's Book Bank!In The News
Book Drive Season!
It’s book drive season! Empower Chicagoland children through book ownership by hosting a book drive. Book drives are a fun and easy way to make an impact in your community. In addition to making an impact on book ownership among Chicagoland children, book drives are...
Bernie’s Book Bank featured on CBS Chicago
Learn more about the damage to our facility and how we're working to get back to normal operations as quickly as possible. Thank you for all of your quick and thoughtful support through this issue
2023 Birdies & Books Charity Golf Classic
The 2023 Birdies & Books Charity Golf Classic, presented by Reed Construction, was as memorable as ever. The morning sun illuminated Shoreacres’ freshly cut grass and deep ravines as players gathered for the shotgun start. It proved to be a perfect day of golf in...
Bernie’s Book Bank Names New Executive Director
April 24, 2023 (LAKE BLUFF, Ill.) – Today, Bernie’s Book Bank announced it has appointed Kristen Daniels as Executive Director, a new role to the organization who creates pathways to success through free, quality books for children. CEO Darrin Utynek and Founder...
Walk As One Chicago Featured in The Chicago Sun-Times
I'm going to read them all" Grade schoolers get excited about book donation during Bernie's Book Bank's crosstown charity walk. The volunteers were midway through their 20-mile “Walk As One Chicago” fundraiser, marching from Guaranteed Rate Field to Wrigley Field and...
BookaPalooza
The first-ever BookaPalooza was a huge success! Spawning from last year's Storybook Festival, Bernie’s Book Bank wanted to bring a similar event directly to the communities served. The event took place on the south side of Chicago in Cornell Sq. Park on Saturday, July...
Wilkov Family Reaches Goal, Collects One Million Books
The start of a year is synonymous with new resolutions and setting goals to accomplish them. However, according to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, 92 percent of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions. The Wilkov family is a part of an elite...
20 Million Books
On October 13th Bernie's Book Bank reached a major milestone, the distribution of our 20 MILLIONTH free book since 2009! To celebrate this achievement Darrin Utynek, CEO of Bernie's Book Bank, led an assembly-style book delivery event at St. Ann School in partnership...
Storefront StoryWalk
Storefront StoryWalk A family-friendly outdoor reading event in select communities. Bernie’s Book Bank was proud to partner with select communities to present StoreFront StoryWalks. StoryWalk® was an innovative and delightful way for children — and adults! — to enjoy...
2021 Storybook Festival
Bernie's Book Bank welcomed children and families to the inaugural Storybook Festival on May 22, 2021. This new event celebrates the fun and magic of storybooks in support of our mission to increase book ownership among under-served children throughout Chicagoland. It...
2020 Impact Report
2020 was a year like no other. Despite pandemic challenges, Bernie's Book Bank remained laser focused on providing free quality books for under-served children. Our 2020 Impact Report shares the highlights of the innovative ways we collected books, distributed books,...
Pop-Up Shop: Hoodie Sale
Bernie's Book Bank is proud to host its first ever virtual Pop-Up Shop! For the month of March only the entire line of Bernie's Book Bank hoodies are on sale. Choose from four styles (see gallery below for more pictures): RE*D Chicago Flag Blue Hoodie Gray Slouch Neck...
Patrick Mannelly Award Names 2020 Winner
On Saturday, January 9th, the 2020 Patrick Mannelly Award ceremony was livestreamed from Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff. The Patrick Mannelly Award, presented by William Blair, is named after former Chicago Bears Long Snapper Patrick Mannelly. Mannelly is widely...
Zebra Technologies Publishes Children’s Book to Benefit Bernie’s Book Bank
Zebra Technologies, a longtime strategic partner of Bernie’s Book Bank, recently published a children’s book about inclusion featuring their mascot, Zippy. In “Zippy’s Special Gift” Zippy the Zebra learns everyone has a special gift, including herself. The book was...
The Quest For One Million Books
A typical Bernie’s Book Bank book drive lasts a couple of weeks and brings in a few thousand books. The Wilkov family book drive is anything but typical. They have collected 700,000 books for Bernie’s book Bank in the past nine years and they’re not finished yet. The...
16,000+ books collected at New Trier Township Book Drive
New Trier Township hosted their annual children’s book drive benefiting Bernie’s Book Bank on Friday, June 10th at Winnetka Presbyterian Church. While New Trier Township is no stranger to book drives, the event looked a bit different than in prior years. To ensure the...
One Day Book Drive At Big Hollow
On June 23rd, Bernie’s Book Bank tested a new type of children’s book drive at Big Hollow Primary School in Ingleside. The one day event and featured a convenient drive thru book drop. Book donors simply pulled up in front of the school and Bernie’s Book Bank team...
Bernie’s Book Bank Supports Joliet Families at Pop-Up Event
On Saturday, May 30th, Bernie’s Book Bank teamed up with the Northern Illinois Food Bank for their Pop-Up Market in Joliet. As families drove through the parking lot at Joliet Junior College to pick up fresh groceries, Bernie’s Book Bank distributed Family Packs of...
Bernie’s Book Bank Announces Special COVID-19 Partnerships
Bernie’s Book Bank, the non-profit organization dedicated to increasing book ownership among under-served infants, toddlers and school-age children throughout Chicagoland, announced strategic partnerships with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Northern Illinois Food...
Literacy Is A Constitutional Right
Bernie’s Book Bank was built upon the idea that owning quality books enables under-served children to read their way to a better life. In short, we believe in #fREADom for ALL children.For this reason, we are excited to share news of a landmark decision...
Where’s Bernie’s Book Bank?
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact lives, your support enables us to positively impact the lives of local under-served children. The map below illustrates how we continue to increase book ownership, as we have distributed 112,000 free...
Change Their Story Campaign Update
Dear Bernie's Book Bank Supporter,First and foremost, THANK YOU! to all who have donated to the "Change Their Story" campaign. Your dollars are hard at work changing the story for under-served children across Chicagoland.In the two weeks since we launched...
Coffee?
Can you imagine being a child during this uncertain time who cannot attend school and has no books at home to read? As a father, and husband to a teacher, it is difficult to fathom. Nevertheless, I know this is the reality for so many children in our...
Change Their Story Campaign Launch
The children we serve have been disproportionately affected due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Books at home are needed more than ever, especially in the absence of e-learning in many low-income communities. Access to reading materials...
2020 Winter Volunteer-A-Thon
The snowy Chicagoland weather didn’t stop volunteers from making the trek to Bernie’s Book Bank on January 24 and 25 for Volunteer-A-Thon. Volunteers helped to sort, sticker and pack books for local under-served children. To keep energy high over the...
Inaugural Patrick Mannelly Award A Success
On Saturday, December 14th, Bernie’s Book Bank welcomed nearly 150 guests for the inaugural Patrick Mannelly Award presented by William Blair. This award, named after former Chicago Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly, is given to the best FBS senior Long...
Drive N’ Dine: Ricobene’s
Ricobene’s of Chicago ranks high in our list of the best lunches available in the Chicagoland area. I had heard rumblings of an amazing sandwich in my infancy as a book banker, but nothing could have prepared me for what USA Today calls “The Best Sandwich...
Drive N’ Dine: Wings Etc.
The Bernie’s Book Bank drive team takes their fried chicken and chicken wings very seriously. So, when we’re in Antioch and are craving the best wings around, we head over to Wings Etc.* Aside from the fact that they have phenomenal wings, both boneless...
Creating Community: Chapter 5
Bill is an educator, lifelong learner and a proud Bernie’s Book Bank volunteer.His career in education spans more than 15 years including five years as a teacher at Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and 12 years at Lake Forest Academy. As a high school teacher...
Drive N’ Dine: Halsted Street Deli
Halsted Street Deli* in Vernon Hills utilizes several core principles to ensure customer satisfaction. They offer a wide variety of hefty sandwiches along with varied healthy options, coffee and desserts. The deli serves a selection of quality meats,...
Bernie’s Book Bank Wins Blue Hen Award
Bernie’s Book Bank has been recognized as a Blue Hen 17&43 award winner. This prestigious award recognizes growing companies founded or led by University of Delaware alumni. Our very own Founder and Chief Advancement Officer, Brian Floriani graduated...
Creating Community: Chapter 4
Every Tuesday at 11 a.m. all-star volunteer Dominique arrives at Bernie’s Book Bank with a bright smile, ready to volunteer. Dominique was first introduced to Bernie's Book Bank in 2014 when she joined an adult day program after graduating school. She and...
Drive N’ Dine: Zacatacos
Zacatacos* of Chicago is one of many taco joints throughout the city, but for the drive team they are a cut above the rest. Maybe it’s because they only use USDA choice inner skirt for their famous steak tacos, or maybe it’s their unbeatable El Pastor...
Press inquiries
If you’d like to learn more about Bernie’s Book Bank, please email or call 847.780.7323
