Benefit for Just 1 Book at 5 & Diner promises to be fun event for families

March 30, 2011 - PRLog -- MyKidsPlate.com is the kid-friendly dining authority listing restaurants that are kid-friendly and teaching restaurants how to do a better job with families with kids. 5 & Diner is a kid-friendly restaurant in East Orlando. Together they are hosting the first annual Rock ‘n Roll Street Party to raise money for Just 1 Book.

Last year, as a fourth grader, East Orlando’s Sarah Dewitz found inspiration in an article about the area’s recession victims.

“If they don’t have money for life’s basic necessities” she thought, “they definitely don’t have money for books.” An avid reader herself, Sarah decided to start an organization to collect books and distribute them to people in the community that so desperately needed and wanted them. She named her non-profit Just 1 Book and as part of her first book drive at her elementary school, collected over 800 books.

In less than a year, Sarah and her family have collected over 60,000 books. Lowe’s donated wood for bookshelves and a free, easily-accessible library was created for the Bithlo-Christmas Neighborhood Center for Families.  Additionally, Sarah and Just 1 Book have donated thousands of books to other needy kids at Kiwanis events, back to school events and other community based events.   Now Sarah finds herself in the same position as many non-profits; needing more than just the donation of items, they need cash to help in the other aspects of distribution.

“What I really need to help distribute all these books is a book mobile,” said Sarah. “We have a lot of books and I am so excited that Just 1 Book is now coordinating book drives all over Central Florida. But we really need an easier way to distribute all these books.”  

During a meeting with Sarah’s mom Sharlene, The Restaurant Mom and founder of MyKidsPlate.com, Julie Casey asked how she could help. “I knew with the connections I have in the restaurant industry, and the need for these restaurants to get people in the door, that we could bring the two together to benefit both parties.”

Casey met with 5 & Diner owner Jay Rosado and he was quickly on board. “We are a kid-friendly restaurant,” said Rosado, “it was a perfect fit for us to do something for such an amazing young lady that lives right in our backyard.”

The event is the first annual Rock ‘n Roll Street Party. It will be held on Saturday, April 16 from 4 pm – 8 pm. People can bring books but there will be plenty of family entertainment too like face painting, bounce houses, picture taking and dancing to decades of music. For more information, find Just 1 Book on facebook or go to www.just1book.net.

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MyKidsPlate.com is the kid-friendly dining authority certifying restaurants as kid-friendly based on 30 attributes deemed important by parents. MyKidsPlate.com provides a calendar of Kids Eat Free nights in many cities and offers the Kids Eat Free Card.