Normally filled with students enjoying their lunches, Bishop Stang High School’s cafeteria was full of patrons browsing books and crafts on April 2 to benefit a good cause.
“We had such a great turnout,” said geometry teacher Colleen Silva, who has overseen the annual book sale since 2011. “It’s great to see how many came out to get books and provide support.”
Nearly 5,000 used books, movies, and CDs filled the cafeteria’s tables, ranging from American classics such as “The Great Gatsby” to biographies of people like former president Richard Nixon and billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
“One person even left with a cookbook from 1952,” Silva noted.
All books were sold for up to $2.
Handmade crafts were also available for purchase.
While there were a lot of donated books to arrange, the Bishop Stang teacher said she was thankfully not alone in setting up the sale. She noted that several students volunteered to bring the donated materials up from the basement.
“Thank goodness for those kids,” Silva said. “I’d never be able to do all of this by myself.”
She added that while some students complained about navigating the school’s staircases with boxes of books, they were able to benefit from getting a nice workout.
“They’re young, they can still quickly recover,” Silva said with a laugh.
All proceeds from the sale were donated to the American Heart Association in memory of Joseph Silva, Colleen’s late husband, and Richard Flynn, a former Bishop Stang English teacher.
“It’s a very fitting tribute,” Silva said.
During the most recent sale in 2019, Silva noted that she was able to donate nearly $2,000 for research and education on heart disease.
“It’s not just about your healthy living,” she said. “Many children are born with congenital heart disease.”
This year, the goal plan was to beat that bar achieved in 2019.
“Every year, we meet our goals, and they keep increasing every year,” Silva said. “It’s a good cause to help.”