GoMart Donates Books to West Virginia First Graders

Author Tony Caridi is touring schools to distribute 17,000 copies of his new book.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Philanthropy

Bold vector editorial illustration of a stack of children's books on a wooden desk, evoking West Virginia literacy efforts. — GoMart has launched an initiative to donate 17,000 copies of author Tony Caridi’s latest children's book to West Virginia first graders. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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GoMart is donating 17,000 copies of a new book by Tony Caridi to first graders across West Virginia. The project is currently underway with a series of school visits by the author.

Why it matters

This initiative aims to support literacy development among young students while highlighting various locations across West Virginia. By partnering with a local author, the company seeks to provide accessible educational resources to schools throughout the state.

The program includes the distribution of 17,000 books to first-grade students statewide. Tony Caridi is conducting a tour of six different elementary schools during the week.

The players

Tony Caridi

He is the author of the new book Watch Where You Put Your Feet Down and a public figure involved in the statewide reading tour.

GoMart

This organization is a retail company that partnered with the author to fund and distribute thousands of books to elementary students.

The details

Author Tony Caridi is visiting six elementary schools to read his new book, Watch Where You Put Your Feet Down, to students. GoMart partnered with Caridi to facilitate the donation and delivery of the books to classrooms across the state.

October 26, 2026: Caridi visited Sutton Elementary and Stanaford Elementary schools.
October 27, 2026: Caridi visited Belle Elementary School.

Market Landscape

This effort aligns with the West Virginia Department of Education's literacy initiatives by leveraging private sector resources to support public classroom goals. It positions the company as a key community stakeholder through corporate social responsibility efforts.

First-grade students across the state will receive a complimentary copy of the new book to take home. Parents and educators can expect the books to arrive in classrooms as the author completes his scheduled tour of six schools.

The takeaway

Literacy programs often rely on the collaboration between private corporations and local authors to reach students in remote or rural classrooms. Implementing such reading initiatives can provide families with immediate access to new educational materials at no personal cost.