First Look At The Big Book This Saturday

Ever wonder what a book that is over 10 feet wide and 12 foot tall containing hundreds of pages will look like? Find out at “First Look at the Big Book,” featuring the world’s biggest book about peace on Saturday, June 2 from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School Performing Arts Center. The event is free.

The Pages for Peace Project was initiated in 2004 when a group of fifth grade students at Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School joined an after school club to build a giant book. The students felt such a big book deserved an important topic and agreed to focus on peace. They began writing letters to people all over the world asking them to provide submissions for the giant peace book. Those original eight members of the after school “Bookmakers and Dreamers Club” will be graduating from Groton-Dun stable Regional High School the evening before the June 2 event.

Since the club was started, there have been more than 190 members ranging from fifth through 12th grades. The purpose of the June 2 celebration is to honor those students who have dedicated the last seven-plus years to building the biggest book about peace, and to provide the public an opportunity to see the first few hundred pages of the giant book on stage at the Performing Arts Center.

Since 2004, the students have received over 3000 letters, poems, songs and artwork from students, teachers, families, veterans, refugees, dignitaries and 9/11 first responders and their families. Several Nobel Laureates including President Jimmy Carter, the 14th Dalai Lama, and Helen Caldecott have responded as well as former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace, the late Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John Kerry, Congressman Niki Tsongas and celebrities such as folk singer Pete Seeger and skateboarder Tony Hawk. Students involved in the Big Book: Pages for Peace Project have been invited to the UN every year since 2008 to tell the story of their remarkable project as part of the UN’s annual celebration of the International Day of Peace.

The June 2 celebration will include recognition of the students involved in the project as well as the corporate and educational partners that have provided financial and technical support for the project. Scheduled appearances include 9/11 first responder John Feal and members of the FealGood Foundation of New York, an advocacy group for 9/11 first responders and their families—long-time supporters of the Big Book: Pages for Peace Project. Also speaking will be Ted Reinstein, correspondent for Boston’s WCVB’s highly regarded, long running, news show “Chronicle.” Speaking on behalf of corporate partners of the Big Book will be Groton resident Bart Kulesz, vice president of customer service, EFI Inkjet Solutions of Meredith, NH, manufacturer of grand format printers. EFI has provided technical expertise for the project over the last five years and has donated all of the ink for the giant book.

Entertainment will be provided by members of the award winning Groton-Dunstable Regional High School Chamber Choir before they head to London in July for their appearance during the Olympics events. The special audio visual presentations for the June 2 event are being funded by a grant from the Groton-Dunstable Education Foundation.

For more information regarding the Big Book: Pages for Peace Project, visit our website at www.pagesforpeace.org and become a fan on Facebook @ Big Book: Pages for Peace Foundation or follow us on Twitter.