Milton First Grader Holds Book Drive and Bake Sale for Charity

Owen Foley is an incoming first grader at Milton School, but on Thursday the 6-year old organized a fundraiser of adult proportions.

The first annual "Owen's Backyard Book Drive and Bake Sale" collected $231 and 475 gently-used books during the three-hour event, surpassing Owen's fundraising goal to supply books to classrooms at the Carver Center in Port Chester and the Future Leaders Institute Charter School in Manhattan. 

Owen's mother, Mary Ellen Foley, said her industrious first grader came up with the idea during a car ride to visit his grandmother in Connecticut. Owen's kindergarten class had previously held a book drive and he wanted to do something charitable after his class had discussed earthquake relief efforts in Haiti and ways people could help.

"I think school really opened his eyes, and [ it shows] that our community and our family are really teaching him good values," she said. "We're really proud of him."

Click the video to the right to see "Owen's Backyard Book Drive and Bake Sale."