KIRSTEN HESS of LET'S PLAY BOOKS! - 2016 BUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARD
Emmaus Rotary Club held its annual Business Recognition Award meeting on June 23, 2016.
Past President Mark Erle shared a brief overview of Rotary International and a historical overview of past award winners. The award recognizes local individuals and businesses for ethical business practices and service to the community. Mark turned the podium over to Lexa Shallcross who read her nomination of this year’s award recipient, Kirsten Hess of “Let’s Play Books!”
Kirsten was invited to the podium where she shared information about herself and “Let’s Play Books!” Kirsten moved to the Lehigh Valley from Connecticut about three years ago where she worked in the corporate world and, most recently, at an independent bookstore. Kirsten opened “Let’s Play Books!” in December 2013 with a focus on selling youth-oriented books in a fun setting. In a world where many children are categorized as non-readers at an early age, Kirsten aims to show reading can be a fun activity - not a chore. Kirsten organizes a variety of book-related events, book clubs and author-to-schools programs. While she admitted the store is not yet operating in the black, her goal is donate a percentage of profits to children’s literacy efforts. Kirsten’s engaging spirit and enthusiasm for children really shined through during her presentation. She invited everyone to drop by the store to experience the magic of reading for themselves. The store’s tagline aptly sums up Kirsten’s ambitions for her shop: “Stirring imagination, engaging creativity, and building character, one book at a time.”
Emmaus Rotary is proud to recognize Kirsten Hess and “Let’s Play Books!” with this year’s Business Recognition Award. Congratulations and best wishes for future success!
