Books

How To Help The Harry Potter Fans Who Are Sending Books To Puerto Rico

by Sadie Trombetta
Warner Bros.

It's no secret that Harry Potter fans have a passion for activism, and since 2005, the Harry Potter Alliance has been helping them turn that passion into power. This year, the non-profit organization is calling on Potterheads to help them raise money for their annual book drive, Accio Books, through a new donor society, the Friends of the Apparating Library. The fundraiser will not only help bring the magic of books to communities in need, but it also has a ton of perks for donors, including a grand prize of a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, signed by actress Evanna Lynch, a.k.a. Luna Lovegood.

Since 2009, the Harry Potter Alliance, a non-profit that helps transfigure Potterheads into activists, has coordinated an annual international book drive to help communities in need, Accio Books. This year, they are partnering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico to support educational programs in four different communities across the island. To help raise money for the book drive, the HPA is running the Friends of the Apparating Library fundraiser, a fun philanthropic initiative with tons of really cool prizes. Their goal is to raise $25,000 by April 14, and to help motivate Potterheads to put their golden Galleons to good use, the HPA is offering a ton of incredible perks and prizes any Potterhead would want.

Here's how it works: for every $10 you donate to the HPA, you will get one entry to the contest. If you donate $20 or more, you will receive multiple entries. To complete your entry, you'll be required to complete "a fun and simple Harry Potter-themed creative activity," according to the contest rules. Two first grand prize winners selected by an impartial jury of HPA staff members will receive a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix signed by actress Evanna Lynch. Several runners up will also be picked and given the opportunity to choose from one of the many fantastic perks, which include Harry Potter-themed prizes like a VIP Pass to a Mischief Management conference, as well as other cool bookish prizes like signed books from Maureen Johnson, Rainbow Rowell, and Mackenzi Lee.

If you're dying to get your hands on one of these cool prizes, don't worry, because there are tons of ways to get involved with the HPA's Friends of the Apparating Library campaign. If you want to give right now, you can simply donate online with Give Lively. Every donor who gives $35 or more will receive a lifetime membership into the Apparating Library Book Club, a fun, spoiler-free online book club perfect for Potter fans. If you want to help the HPA raise more money, you can sign up for HPA's fundraising team which has its own set of magical incentives, including a "Yer a Wizard" pin, "Dumbledore Is Gay" buttons, a Remembrall notebook, a book club membership, and more. You can also help your Hogwarts House win the Apparating Library House Cup by donating to one of the official Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin pages. Everyone who donates to the winning house will get an invitation to an exclusive livestream with YouTube sensation and fellow Potterhead Kirstyn Hippe.

For nearly a decade, the Harry Potter Alliance has been helping communities around the world with their annual book drives, but that's not all the organization is responsible for. The HPA has also built several new libraries in the United States, Uganda, and Rwanda, and recently partnered up with the American Library Association to advocate for things like public library funding and net neutrality. Since launching in 2009, the HPA has raised over 300,000 books, but the organization isn't slowing down anytime soon. They have pledged to host annual book drives until they have raised one million books and built 25 new libraries around the world, and right now, you can help them get a little bit closer.

According to the HPA, roughly every $1 donated turns into one book in a community in need. To find out how you can get involved, and possibly win a copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix signed by Luna Lovegood herself, go to the Friends of the Apparating Library page online, or make a donation on Give Lively.