Grand Forks Reach a Reader campaign for 2013 was a big success raising over $760 for Community Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL). The event saw city councillors, Border Bruins and Gazette staff members man booths outside the Gazette office and Overwaitea and sell papers and collect money Wednesday for literacy programs in the region. “It went really well,” said Sheila Dobie, community literacy coordinator for CBAL. “It was the best one we’ve done yet. The money raised will go to either our English as a Second Language (ESL) program or our Girls’ Eye View, which is a program for young girls that we are looking at running here in Grand Forks as well as the West Boundary.”Dobie said the response from the public was excellent.“It was really great to see people understood the need to build on our community literacy,” she said. “It was great.”Bob Kendel was one of several councillors who donated their time for Reach a Reader this year. “I just think it’s a great program,” he said. “Everybody was wonderful. Everyone I talked to thought it was a good thing. They were all willing to dig into their pockets, so I think that tells you that it’s a worthwhile program.”Reach a Reader also set up in Greenwood on Thursday at the Boundary Creek Times office.“We tested it out,” said Dobie. “I think we’ll try to do something bigger there next year. We just had one table set up for a couple of hours.”