Lilyfield's EmpowerOKC Teams Up With State Rep. Cruz For South OKC Book Fair

A state representative teamed up with Lilyfield's EmpowerOKC to present a free book fair for children in south Oklahoma City.

Books can be entertaining, empowering, and take you places you’ve never been, but for many of the kids, having a book is an opportunity many of them don't get.

State Rep. Jose Cruz, D-Oklahoma City, said he wants to give kids the resources he never had.

"Growing up, ordering books from the Scholastic Book Magazine was hard for our family. So usually I’d see all the kids get their books on their desk from their orders, and you know, you kind of feel left out a little bit," he said.

Now, he uses those memories to help get kids books for free.

With EmpowerOKC, the plea went out for books and donations, and the response was overwhelming.

As the books came in, so did the kids, greeted at the door with a sack, excited about getting their very own books, for free.

“The books are free. You don’t need to bring any ID or sign in or anything like that. Just come over to St. Luke’s Asbury here on SW 39th and Rancho Village, and come pick out a book,” Cruz said.

It was exciting for Cruz and the other workers to see the looks on the kid’s faces as they went through the fair. By the response, this won’t be the last book fair.

“There’s a lot of excitement around this, so we’re definitely gonna keep doing this," Cruz said. "I think we’re looking for a bigger idea.”

The second day of the book fair is set for from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday at St. Luke’s Asbury Church, near SW 38th and Blackwelder Avenue.

Books are free for all ages.