News & Media
Check out the latest news from Bernie's Book Bank!
Volunteer Downtown at Macy’s
Bernie’s Book Bank is heading downtown August 26-30 for a unique volunteer opportunity at Macy’s on State Street in Chicago. Gather friends, family, and coworkers for this convenient opportunity to give back to Chicagoland children without the hassle of...
Patrick Mannelly Award Watchlist
Bernie's Book Bank and the Patrick Mannelly Award have partnered together to shine a spotlight on the long snapper position in college football. In its inaugural year, this award will be presented to the highest performing long snapper in Division I...
Drive N’ Dine: Luke’s of Lake Bluff
Luke’s of Lake Bluff is a fellow Lake Bluff establishment. This family restaurant takes pride in its motto, “We don’t serve fast food, we serve good food fast,” and we can’t help but agree! As well as having one of the widest menu selections around, they...
Creating Community: Chapter 3
"Everything happens for a reason." It's the type of phrase that a freshman in college gets tattooed on their ribs in flowing script, the type of phrase a grandparent optimistically proclaims when a child spills their freshly prepared ice cream all over the...
A Note-Worthy Story: Bill Nixon
His name is Bill Nixon. If you have ever stepped foot into the processing center of Bernie's Book Bank, you have seen him. Alright, maybe you haven't seen him. But you have definitely heard him. It is the voice that many volunteers hear before, during and...
Drive N’ Dine: Antioch Pizza Shop
Antioch Pizza Shop of Antioch is yet another esteemed stop for the Bernie’s Book Bank team. With humble beginnings of a shared recipe by friends, this easygoing nearby pizza joint has grown into a local crave haven. Their top-notch pizza is dressed with...
Drive n’ Dine: Jay’s Beef
Jay’s Beef of Harwood Heights is one of a plethora of Italian Beef joints found in the Chicagoland area. However, this long-time family run restaurant’s mouthwatering array of hotdogs, sausage beef combos, cheese fries, poppers, cheese puffs and tamales...
Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois: Future Educators Give Back
This week started off with a kick as the processing center was filled with many eager Golden Apple Scholars. These incoming college freshmen, although diverse, are all connected through their shared goal to apply their passions towards becoming the next...
Drive n’ Dine
Collection and distribution, led by our team of drivers, are key components in executing Bernie’s Book Bank mission to increase book ownership among at-risk Chicagoland children. With 6 counties served, our humble team of 6 drivers log approximately 63,000...
10th Anniversary Celebration
The Bernie’s Book Bank 10th Anniversary Celebration kicked off with a 10-hour Volunteer-A-Thon on Saturday, July 13th. Longtime volunteers gathered with new volunteers to help sort, sticker and pack books for the 360,000 at-risk Chicagoland children we...
Creating Community: Chapter 2
The Lake Forest High School Transition Program is designed to prepare students with disabilities, aged 18-22, with the "social, vocational, and personal management skills" necessary to become an engaged and supportive component of their communities. One of...
Creating Community: Chapter 1
The doors slide open to another group of Wednesday volunteers at 9:30 AM. Corporate workers from the surrounding area shuffle in, wearily rubbing their eyes. Alongside them, middle-school aged students excitedly run circles around their teachers. It is the...
2019 AbbVie Week of Possibilities
AbbVie Week of possibilities is an annual tradition in which 9,000 dedicated employees donate their time and talent to local communities worldwide. Bernie’s Book Bank has been lucky enough to reap the benefits of AbbVie’s selfless efforts for the past four...
Patrick Mannelly Long Snapper Award partners with Bernie’s Book Bank
Today the Patrick Mannelly Long Snapper Award announced a formal partnership with Bernie’s Book Bank, the leading provider of quality books to at-risk Chicagoland children.This Long Snapper award is named after Patrick Mannelly, widely known as the best...
2019 Printers Row Lit Fest
The Printers Row Lit Fest took over Dearborn street for the 35th year, lining it with vibrant green tents that housed the diverse works of over 100 booksellers. The 2019 festival continued the tradition of being the largest free outdoor literary showcase...
2019 Book Lovers’ Events
Nearly 600 book lovers united at Bernie’s Book Bank on Friday, May 3 for the 8th annual Book Lovers’ Lunch and 2nd annual Book Lover’s Breakfast. The signature event benefited the mission of Bernie’s Book Bank to increase book ownership among at-risk...
The story grows on at the 2019 Chicago Flower & Garden Show
The book-themed adventure continued at the 2019 Chicago Flower & Garden Show titled, "FlowerTales: The Story Grows On.” Stunning gardens and creative floral displays turned Navy Pier into a springtime haven for Chicagoland. Bernie’s Book Bank had the...
Astronaut and Author to speak at 2019 Book Lovers’ Events
Bernie’s Book Bank, the leading provider of books to at-risk Chicagoland children, will host its spring benefit on May 3rd, 2019. The Book Lovers’ Events, held at Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff, are two signature events featuring an award-winning...
2019 Volunteer-A-Thon
The 2019 Volunteer-A-Thon was a success! For 12 hours on February 1 and 2, volunteers of all ages and abilities sorted, stickered and packed books for the at-risk Chicagoland children we serve. New for this year’s event, volunteers had the chance to...
2018 Book Lovers’ City Lunch
Book lovers from across Chicagoland united in support of Bernie’s Book Bank on Friday, November 16 for the 4th Annual Book Lovers’ City Lunch. As the leading provider of quality books to at-risk children throughout Chicagoland, Bernie's Book Bank was proud...
Race car drivers clock laps for Bernie’s Book Bank
What do race cars and Bernie’s Book Bank have in common? While there is a possibility that some of the 300,000 at-risk Chicagoland children we serve may receive a book about racecars in their bag, all of the children benefit from the incredible “Laps for...
Spooktacular Volunteering
Join Bernie's Book Bank for a spooktacular volunteer session! Jam along to the Monster Mash as you prepare BOOks for the at-risk Chicagoland children Bernie's Book Bank serves. Come dressed in your best costume for a Halloween costume contest (open to the...
Books for Buckets benefits Bernie’s Book Bank
Bernie’s Book Bank is proud to be the beneficiary of “Books For Buckets,” an initiative to promote book ownership in the local community by Rose Pest Solutions and Northwestern Athletics. Rose Pest Solutions, as part of the Books for Buckets program, will...
Hank Phillippi Ryan to speak at 2018 Book Lovers’ City Lunch
You’re invited! Join Bernie’s Book Bank for Book Lovers’ City Lunch on November 16th at the Aon Center. The event, generously hosted by KPMG, will benefit the at-risk Chicagoland children Bernie’s Book Bank serves. This year’s featured speaker is...
2018 Birdies & Books
A total of 220 players took to the green on Monday, August 27 for the annual Birdies & Books Charity Golf Classic. It was a beautiful (and hot) day at Onwentsia Club and proved to be a competitive day on the course. Founder and Chief Advancement...
Golden Apple Scholars Volunteer at Bernie’s Book Bank
Think there are a lot of people in this photo? Now picture double the number of eager teachers! Earlier this summer, Bernie’s Book Bank hosted more than 200 volunteers from the Golden Apple Foundation, making it one of the largest volunteers sessions in...
Bernie’s Book Bank breaks Guinness World Record
History has been made! Bernie’s Book Bank and International Keynote Speaker, Ryan Avery, broke the Guinness World Record for the largest book pyramid on Friday, July 27, 2018. The colorful structure towers over the processing center at Bernie’s Book Bank...
Bernie’s Book Bank to attempt world record for largest book pyramid
Bernie’s Book Bank and International Keynote Speaker, Ryan Avery, are teaming up to attempt a new Guinness World Record for the largest book pyramid on July 27, 2018 at Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff, Ill. The current world record for the largest book pyramid stands...
2018 AbbVie Week of Possibilities
This year, AbbVie hosted it’s fifth annual “Week of Possibilities” global volunteering program, June 18-22. For the third year, AbbVie has selected Bernie’s Book Bank as one of their nonprofit volunteer partners in Lake County, Illinois. AbbVie volunteers...
The story grows on: 2019 Chicago Flower & Garden Show partnership
We’re proud to announce that Bernie’s Book Bank has been selected as the charitable partner for the 2019 Chicago Flower & Garden Show. The 2019 show titled, “FLOWERTALES: The Story Grows On” is a continuation of the 2018 show, “FLOWERTALES: Every...
Bernie’s Book Bank partners with Ravinia Festival
Bernie's Book Bank is partnering with Ravinia, North America's oldest music festival, to collect children's books for the 300,000 at-risk children we serve. During all Kids Concerts this summer, bring your gently used children's books to the Bernie's Book...
Summer 2018 Book Distributions
Bernie’s Book Bank sources, processes, and distributes quality children’s books to at-risk Chicagoland children. Each child receives 12 books throughout the school year, but our mission does not stop when the school year ends. Bernie’s Book Bank works...
2018 Appreciation Night
Yesterday evening, we welcomed Bernie’s Book Bank supporters to be our guests for an evening of appreciation. Donors, sponsors, board members, associate board members and 50 Hour Club members gathered for sweet treats and Terlato Wine in celebration of...
Press inquiries
If you’d like to learn more about Bernie’s Book Bank, please email or call 847.780.7323
