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For immediate release: June 28, 2010 Contact: Olga Bof Cheeky Monkeys Books & Toys (813) 500-7708 cheekymonkeysbooks@gmail.com Local visionary has chance to win thousands from Pepsi! Cheeky Monkeys Books & Toys seeking community support for national contest
St. Petersburg, Florida - Imagine yourself as a child opening the door of a local bookstore and discovering a colorful, fun and whimsical place full of books and magical toys! As you look around, there are little nooks for you to sit or curl up in with a book ...over to the left someone is reading to a group of enraptured children and as you peek into a special room you see a music class in session... This is the vibrant vision of Olga Bof and her ideal children's bookstore, Cheeky Monkeys Books and Toys. Her mission is to work as a dedicated community partner to help raise readers, instill the love of reading as a life-long pursuit and to stimulate and inspire young minds. She plans to open the bookstore in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. In order to make this dream a reality, Cheeky Monkeys is seeking innovative funding sources. Olga was recently notified that she was awarded the opportunity to compete for a $50,000 grant in the July round of the Pepsi Refresh Project. Hundreds of thousands of applicants attempt to enter the competition every month and Cheeky Monkeys will be one of the lucky ones in the "Neighborhoods" category. The grant would represent a third of what is needed for the store's start-up funds and as winners are determined by public voting Olga's mission now is to encourage the community (and beyond) to vote daily and to spread the word. Voting begins July 1 and continues through July 31 at www.refresheverything.com/cheekymonkeysbooks. Reaching out to elected officials, community stakeholders, networking groups, social media marketing and friends is the first step in getting the word out about the competition. The hope is that they, too, will spread the word and encourage daily voting for this invaluable community project. In addition to the excitement of the possibility, this has the opportunity to become the first project in Florida to win the Pepsi Refresh grant. As a passionate proponent of "buying local" she explains more in detail about the vision of the store: "We will feature a collection of items by local artists and our dynamic calendar of events will go beyond just story-time and author readings/signings by including classes and activities such as art, crafts, music, language (to name a few...) and this will involve supporting, promoting and partnering with local businesses and organizations. To that end, we are already reaching out to the local community and have formed alliances with The PinkCricket Center for Arts Education, Enchanted Forest Photography, which specializes in newborn, baby and children portraits, and have been in contact with the Director of Education at the Morean Arts Center as they have just opened their Children's Learning Center. We will strive to not only engage with, but become a true partner of the community." Olga is encouraging neighborhood and community partners to fan her Facebook page for updates on the project and for daily reminders to vote. This is the ultimate test of grassroots community outreach and she is humbled by the feedback she's received so far. There are only 10 ideas that can win the $50,000, not to mention the national exposure. "Winning this grant means the dream of opening a children's book and toy store becomes a reality and we can then start raising readers in all of Tampa Bay!" says the project's visionary, Olga Bof. For more information about the project and mission, please visit the store's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cheekymonkeysbooks. On July 1 through July 31, vote daily by going to www.refresheverything.com/cheekymonkeysbooks. There is only one vote per day for each idea, but you can vote for up to 10 different ideas each day. For additional information or to show your support, please email cheekymonkeysbooks@gmail.com. ###
More About Cheeky Monkeys Books: Our children's books will be for age ranges from babies to young adults (* our website will carry 3 million+ titles - not just for children - and will include e-books *). Our toys will have a focus on those that are eco-friendly, educational, old-fashioned, hand-made and/or incorporate a strong design element. We will also be carrying art, architecture and photography books to not only cater to the thriving arts community, but young "artists-in-the making". We will carry a selection of books in Spanish and aim to have a Spanish story-time once a month. Our dynamic calendar of events will go beyond just story-time and author readings/signings by including classes and activities such as: art, crafts, music, language, parenting, healthy mind & body, Kids/Family Night-Out, book/toy swaps, summer camps (& much more!). In-store birthday parties will also be available. Book clubs will grow organically and will include one led by the "store YA expert", who will be a student chosen via a contest in local schools. |
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