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NJ Student Donates 10,000 Books That Will Be Given To NYC Schoolchildren

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A 14-year-old New Jersey boy surprised the Center for Fiction in Manhattan with a special delivery.

Lucas Gabriel, of Englishtown, showed up at the center with a rental truck filled with 10,000 books to be distributed to New York City schoolchildren.

1010 WINS' Stan Brooks hears from Lucas Gabriel

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Gabriel, a student at the Christian Brothers Academy, started to collect the books as part of a school volunteer project after finding out that many children don't have access to books in their homes.

Teen Collects 10000 Books
(credit: Associated Press)

"I had to do community service for my school, but it turned out that I felt that everyone should have the opportunity to be able to go somewhere and just have books and be able to read," Gabriel told reporters, including 1010 WINS' Stan Brooks.

He walked around his neighborhood in Englishtown, handed out pamphlets and sent emails to parent clubs. Before long, Gabriel exceeded his goal of collecting 5,000 books and ended up with 10,000 filling up just about every room in his parents' home.

Gabriel pointed out that three schools in particular helped donate many of the books, including Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft along with Clark Mills and Yellow Duck Nursery School in Manalapan.

The books will be distributed to students in a little over one week.

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