'Makes me feel happy': Manitoba family donates more than 500 books to rebuild school library

A Manitoba family is making sure students at a Winnipeg school damaged by a fire will have books to read once the library is rebuilt.

Kristen Kasprick and her 10-year-old son Noah recently collected and donated 542 books collected from residents in Oakbank, Man. to Westview School in Winnipeg, which recently suffered damage in a fire.

“I felt really sad about the fire at the school, so I really wanted to make their days happy and stuff,” Noah said.

Noah, who attended Westview School for two years, created a video to help promote the need for books, which was posted on several social media pages.

Kristen said she was expecting between 50 and 60 books to be donated.

They ended up collecting eight boxes and two bags full of books.

“I was really overwhelmed,” she said.

Kristen’s children both attended Westview school in prior years before moving to Oakbank, and she said it was important to help her former community

“We have a lot of friends in Transcona still, and (Noah) only went there for two years, but his brother is 16,” she said. “I knew the community well, I knew the teachers and principals very well, and we really wanted to help.”

Noah said he was proud to be able to donate books to the library.

“It makes me feel happy that kids can read more books,” he said. “It makes me feel happy because all of the teachers are happy, and they don’t have to spend a bunch of money on stuff.”