Sunday February 26 saw stars and their families attend and support the Milk + Bookies 8th Annual Story Time Celebration at HD Buttercup in Culver City to raise money and books in their efforts to end illiteracy in the Greater Los Angeles community. The event was attended by Julie Bowen, Henry Winkler, Dan Bucatinsky, John Ortiz, David Walton, Greg Grunberg, Tom Everett Scott, Mark Feuerstein, Norbert the Dog, Johnathon Schaech, Lindsay Sloane and Lucas Turnbloom.
Longtime supporter of Milk + Bookies, “Modern Family” actress Julie Bowen received the Milk + Bookies Champion award in recognition of her continued support before she had the youthful audience engaged in a read-along. Guest readers also included Henry Winkler who read, using voices and animated expressions, from the latest edition of his best-selling Hank Zipzer series, “Here’s Hank.”
Additional highlights included:
- “Royal Pains” star Mark Feuerstein attended with his two children who enjoyed listening to Feuerstein read during Story Time.
- Dan Bucatinsky from the new “24 Legacy” shared snippets from his new book “Play with Me” as well as sharing cookies and milk with his two children.
- Greg Grunberg also shared stories from “Nightmare Escape” from his Dream Jumper series.
- “New Girl” star David Walton and actress Lindsay Sloane and family supported the cause by donating books.
- Actor John Ortiz pursued a game of ping pong.
- Actors Tom Everett Scott and Johnathon Schaech caught up during the festivities while their children enjoyed watching Norbert the Dog perform tricks for the crowd.
- Guests of the event included local parents, grandparents and children who lunched on finger sandwiches, mini corndogs and lollipops shaped as whimsical creatures. To spark their imaginations children could create arts and crafts and chat with live storybook characters including Harry Potter, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook.
Milk + Bookies is a charity that helps get books to kids who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them or have access to them through their local school district. The non-profit organization works to bring books to these children through local “book raisers” (fundraisers hosted by community members), and the annual fundraiser “Story Time Celebration,” which is held every spring in Los Angeles. Milk & Bookies has been combatting the issues of childhood illiteracy and lack of access to books in the Southern California region and beyond for eight years since its foundation by Meredith Alexander.
