Homeschooler Donates $50,000 of Books to His Local Library
By PHS Staff
Printed in Practical Homeschooling #50, 2002.
Jason Orr won a boatload of books. What does he do with them next?
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Jason is honored by the Bedford, TX, City Council
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Homeschoolers love the library. Now, Bedford Public Library of Bedford,
TX, has reason to love homeschoolers back.
Back in May Jason Orr entered a national essay contest sponsored by
Universal Studios and Houghton-Mifflin publishers using an entry form
published with the movie Balto II. The theme of the paper was
“What does it Mean to be a Hero” and could be no longer than
150 words.
Jason’s mom tells it this way, “Jason wrote and re-wrote
about five times. A few days before the deadline, he mailed in the entry
form. After several weeks of checking the mailbox, he asked when he
would hear back. He didn’t forget about the contest. One day we
received a call from California telling us he had won Grand
Prize.”
What did he win?
- $50,000 worth of books from Houghton-Mifflin publishers
- A trip for four to Orlando or Hollywood including airfare,
hotel, and theme park tickets
- His essay printed in a local newspaper.
Jason chose a family friend and former resident of Bedford, Robert
Sawyer, as the subject of his essay. Sawyer had gone to Mexico City 17
years ago after an earthquake there. He saw children sleeping outside
and was moved to found an orphanage, Hogar de Amor y Protección al Niño.
His orphanage now houses more than 100 children.
Jason has become a hero, himself! He was interviewed on a local
television station. Later, when he visited the library because he was
curious to see what $50,000 worth of books looked like, he was given a
rousing welcome. That evening he was honored at a Bedford city council
meeting.
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