"Dropping $5 on a raffle ticket might give you the chance to spend the night with a friend or family member at Purple Crow Books," the News of Orange County noted in showcasing a fundraising effort by the Hillsborough, N.C., Kiwanis "for Orange County students in need of eyeglasses and eye doctor appointments." The main prize winner receives a night at the bookstore, a $100 book gift certificate and breakfast for two at Cup A Joe.
"Besides helping students with vision issues I hope this encourages people to visit Purple Crow Books," said Hillsborough Kiwanis president Tom Carr. "I am a voracious reader and I am a great supporter of independent bookstores.... It's always been a fantasy for me--to spend a night at the bookstore or library with no one else there to bother me, no one looking over my shoulder."
He added that bookstore owner Sharon Wheeler has been supportive of the fundraiser idea from the start.
"Tom Carr has boundless energy for helping children, and boundless creativity," Wheeler said. "The store is right downtown and I know it'll feel very safe for our guest--it'll be wonderful."