Keira-anne.com

I should be making the rounds on street corners with Becky right now. Today is the Vancouver Sun’s annual Raise A Reader day. Local celebrities, politicians, men (and women) in uniform and NHL hockey players are joined by volunteers to hock copies of the Vancouver Sun in an effort to raise awareness and funds for childrens’ literacy programs across British Columbia.

Photo: miss604 on Flickr

Needless to say, it seems as though Becky enjoyed her outing on Raise A Reader day in 2007.

I must admit, however, that part of me is glad to be in my office at the moment and not out there. 2004 was the first year I experienced Raise A Reader. I was still in school, living downtown and making my way on a combination of a student line-of-credit and a minimum wage job at American Eagle Outfitters. My budget was tight - tight!

That particular morning, as I walked to work, I had not two pennies in my wallet to rub together. Raise A Reader volunteers were everywhere on every corner. Finally I encountered Premier Gordon Campbell at the corner of Burrard and Georgia. His guilt trip on me over not buying a paper (keep in mind: no pennies) practically reduced me to tears in the middle of rush hour pedestrian traffic. The man was in my face. It scarred me.

This many years later, times have changed and I can now gladly and easily afford to support this cause without a problem. I won’t lie though - coming to work this morning felt very much like navigating that same minefield.