Class of 1977
50th Reunion Fundraiser · Our Kids Read
Princeton Class of 1977
This Reunions, help the Class of 1977 close the reading gap for Trenton's kids.
50th Reunion · Paws & Stripes
Help us close the reading gap in four ways
Nationally, 80% of low-income elementary school students are not reading at grade level. Books and Reading Buddies are one part of Our Kids Read's broader work to close that gap. The Class of 1977 is supporting this piece specifically, plus this year's Reunions Literacy Day event costs — all in one page.
Buy a Book for a Student
$10 gives one student a brand-new book to keep. Choose how many to fund.
Class Book Wishlist
Support the Class of 1977 book drive by purchasing books directly from our curated list on Bookshop.org. Every book goes straight to a student on Literacy Day.
Give booksBooks are delivered directly to Our Kids Read for distribution.
Volunteer for Reunions Literacy Day
Overall Event: Thursday, May 21, 2026 (8:00 AM–2:00 PM)
Join the Reunions planning committee helping organize logistics, communications, and book drives leading up to Reunions.
Wednesday volunteer activities: Pack individual student book bags with 10 free books, bookmarks, and personalized letters ahead of Literacy Day.
Includes student welcome and Orange Key Campus Tour (chaperone and guide students around Princeton campus).
Literacy-focused activities at the Firestone/Cotsen Children’s Library with students.
Select Your Volunteer Activities
Select one or more activities on our interest form based on your availability. One form covers all volunteer opportunities.
Lunch with students and Tigers, providing mentorship and mealtime supervision.
Creative writing activity with students and book pack distribution.
Write an encouraging, personalized letter in person at the tent anytime between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM, or submit online.
📅 Literacy Day Schedule (Thursday, May 21, 2026 · 8:00 AM–2:00 PM)
Select Any Shift(s)This schedule gives alumni volunteers an overview of the day. You do not need to volunteer for the full day — choose one or more of the specific activities below based on your availability:
Donate to Fund Literacy Day
Gifts made through this box go directly to this year's Reunions Literacy Day — campus tours, storytellers, transportation, and the 10 free books each Trenton student takes home.
Prefer to give by check through your bank's bill-pay? OKR's Federal Tax ID (EIN) is 83-3401365.
Sponsor Supplies for Literacy Day
Got a connection at Nike, Adidas, or another brand that could donate or discount product? We need backpacks, notebooks, pens, and t‑shirts for all 100 students coming to campus for Literacy Day.
Write a Letter to a Student
Send an encouraging, handwritten note to an intermediate school student in Trenton. Letters are distributed with their free book pack on Literacy Day.
The Letter Writing activity will take place at the Class of 1977 Reunions tent on Thursday, May 21, available anytime between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Send Your Letter Online
Can't make it to the tent in person? You can write and submit your encouraging letter online now using our volunteer and letter submission form.
Write a Letter OnlineAbout Our Kids Read
Our Kids Read (OKR) puts the power of story into children's hands so they can write their own futures. OKR is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) with three core programs:
A physical Literacy Hub in Baltimore, where children receive ten free books with every visit and can register for the one-on-one Reading Buddies program.
Large-scale distribution — more than 100,000 books per year — to hospitals, schools, United Way organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other community partners.
A one-on-one, literacy-focused mentorship program pairing children in Title I schools with trained mentors for weekly reading sessions that build a lasting love of reading.
What this funds
"Once you're in the program, it's almost like family. The communication with the emails, with the phone calls, I just think it's very friendly, and it's very simple…. the timing is so flexible, and you have options. Most programs, you don't get this much flexibility or this many options, even including the readathons, which my daughter loves."
"I would love for [my reading buddy student], as the oldest sibling of four, I would love for him to then be able to take that, what he learns, and provide that reading confidence to his younger siblings. Like, that would be such a cool moment, just in general. I was thinking a lot about that as I've read with him. I want him to be a confident reader. I want him to be a lifelong reader."
"People just want you to show up. And they just want to know that you care, right? And I think especially implanting that into, you know, with having that conversation with a child. [My reading buddy student] knows that I'm going to consistently, at 5 p.m. Friday at 5pm, there's a lot of places where most people would rather be. That's where I am, right? Because that's what works with his schedule. But he knows that I'm gonna be consistent. I'm not gonna flake out. And I think that's important. It's important to show to a child that when the adults in the room say something, that they mean it, and they do it."