Jackson Annual 'Cooks for Books' set for March 23

The third annual Cooks for Books, a storybook-themed fundraiser that helps provide free books for Jackson-area children, will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m on Friday, March 23 at The First United Methodist Church, 215 W. Michigan Ave. Proceeds help sponsor Jackson-area children in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, which sends books each month to sponsored children under 5 years old for about $30 a year. Cooks for Books is a cook-off with a tongue-in-cheek storybook theme, where cooks score points for humor and presentation as much as for the dish itself. Past recipes have included 'Three Little Pigs in a Blanket,' and 'Cinderella Pumpkin Rolls''. ''The event is fun for everybody--the cooks and the tasters --and at the end of the day, it's all for a good cause,'' said JCISD literacy coordinator Asa Fleming. ''Children get so excited every month when a book arrives at their home just for them. The program develops a true love a reading.'' More than 3,800 local children receive books in their mailbox each month, and about 140,000 books have been distributed in the Jackson area since 2008. The program in Jackson is a collaborative effort of five local organizations: Great Start Collaborative of Jackson County, Jackson County Education Association, Jackson District Library, Jackson County Health Department, and Jackson County Intermediate School District. For a $5 donation at the door, visitors will get to taste samples and submit one vote for their favorite cook-off team. Additional votes can be purchased for a $1 donation. For more information, contact Sheri Butters at 517-784-4800, ext.248. Published: Thu, Mar 15, 2012