SALT LAKE CITY — For 25 years now, Harry Potter has captured the hearts and wands of wizarding fans around the globe.
A little bit of that magic was spread Friday at one elementary school in Salt Lake City.
With the help of the Scripps Howard Fund, FOX 13 News and Cyprus Credit Union, students received a free copy of the first book in the series to celebrate.
Instead of arriving at Hogwarts, the adventure began at the Guadalupe School on the west side of Salt Lake City.
Whether you’re brave and chivalrous like the house of Gryffindor, hard-working and patient like a Hufflepuff, smart and witty like a Ravenclaw, or ambitious and cunning like the house of Slytherin, there was a place for you to learn and play.
“From the minute we delivered a letter to their classroom, announcing they were coming, they were just filled with so much excitement,” says Becky Youkstetter, development director for Guadalupe School. “Some of them have read them, they know what house they’re in, and they’ve given me some grief for being a Slytherin. So yes, I was very pleased to see how excited they were.”
From mixing palatable potions to making friends with owls, even if they hadn't read the books, the students got a firsthand feel for what the wizarding world is all about.
“I’m hoping they have a curiosity, for those who haven’t read the books, to actually pick up their book and start and get into this world that so many millions and millions of us have absolutely fallen in love with,” says Youkstetter. “We always want to encourage reading in our students.”
And instead of leaving from Platform 9 and three-quarters, these students left their makeshift Hogwarts the more traditional way — and hopefully with a little more magic and wonder than when they came.
Friday's surprise party was a continuation of FOX 13’s "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign. The goal is to ensure that every partner Title 1 school receives 10 books per student each year.
If you'd like to donate, you can text "Fox13reads" to 50155 or visit here.
