Big Sunday comes to Oak Park
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

Oak Park schools are collecting donations of gently used and new books for disadvantaged students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Oxnard.

The collection will support Big Sunday, an annual communitywide service day held this year on Sat. and Sun., May 3 through 4. Thousands of volunteers from Los Angeles to the Conejo Valley will participate in a variety of service activities.

Last year more than 50,000 volunteers of all ages provided support to more than 300 organizations, agencies, schools and nonprofits, according to the BigSunday.org website.

Tony Knight, Oak Park schools superintendent, said, "One of the OPUSD moral imperatives is related to modeling and teaching social responsibility. The Oak Park Big Sunday Book Drive is an opportunity for our students and entire community to be involved in bringing the gift of literacy to disadvantaged children."

This is the first time Oak Park schools are participating in Big Sunday. Sandy Phillips, the parent of two Oak Park students, approached the school district with the idea. Her close friend David Levinson, the creator and executive director of Big Sunday, asked Phillips to help get Oak Park residents involved in the event. The Phillips family has been involved in Big Sunday since its inception 10 years ago.

"Big Sunday does so many great things, from throwing large parties for foster children to visiting the elderly in old age homes, and everything in between," Phillips said. "People paint, cook, knit, garden, take people to museums, beauty salons and so much more. They collect bikes, socks, clothes, books, etc."

Books may be dropped off at any Oak Park school during morning school drop-off the week of April 28 through May 2 or at Oak Park High School between 9 and 10 a.m. on Sat., May 3. Volunteers are needed that day from 9 a.m. to noon to sort the books.

To volunteer to help on May 3, visit www.bigsunday.org and sign up under "Book 'Em in Oak Park" No. 0233, or call (818) 706-2401.