Organizers of the Telling Tales: A Family Festival of Stories have announced that the first annual festival raised $20,000 in funds to be donated to local Hamilton literacy projects.

The first Telling Tales festival was held in September near Hamilton, Ontario with the dual aim of celebrating books and reading and raising money for local literacy projects. The festival itself, which featured some 30 authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers proved very successful, drawing over 4,000 participants. Strong support from local Rotary groups and many other sponsors meant that the festival covered its costs and netted a further $20,000 for its literacy aims.

One third of the $20,000 raised will go to the Hamilton Literacy Council. One third of will be divided among three community-based literacy projects and the final third will be used as seed money for the second Telling Tales Festival to extend its programming and marketing plans in its second year of operation.

The second Telling Tales Festival takes place on Sunday, September 19, 2010. For further information, visit www.tellingtales.org.