Village President Kevin Patrick read five of his family's favorite picture books to children at the Villa Park Public Library on Saturday, Aug. 1, one of 24 volunteer readers who rotated through the Friends of the Villa Park Library's 2026 Read-a-thon.

The 12-hour event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., hit both of its fundraising targets. By Aug. 3, Villa Park Parks & Recreation confirmed on Instagram that the community had raised enough to install a permanent Story Stroll at North Terrace Park and to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to Villa Park, a program that mails one free book per month to children under age 5. Every dollar donated during the Read-a-thon was matched dollar-for-dollar by the Friends of the Library.

Patrick, who served as a village trustee before becoming village president, said the five books he chose were all favorites from when his own boys were growing up. His lineup: Don't Push the Button! by Bill Cotter, The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak, John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

"The books I chose weren't random, they were all favorites in our home when my own boys were growing up," Patrick said, as reported by the Villa Park Review. "Reading them again today brought back a lot of great memories, and it was fun seeing a new generation laugh, participate, and fall in love with these stories just like my kids did."

Parks & Recreation Director Tim Howe also read during the noon hour.

The Friends of the Villa Park Library, which organized the event, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sponsors programs and fundraisers to support the library. Residents interested in volunteering or learning about future events can email [email protected] or visit vppl.info/library-info/friends-of-the-library.

Donations to grow the Imagination Library fund remain open through the Friends' GiveLively page, with proceeds going toward delivering free books to more Villa Park children under 5.