NEWPORT BEACH : Novel Plan Nets 300 Books for School

For a few months during the last school year, students, parents, teachers and administrators at Ensign Intermediate School shopped at Ralphs so they could collect stamps to trade in for books.

They ended up collecting 2,400 of those thumb-size stamps, more than any other of the 13 participating schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Before the fall semester started, Ralphs managers Mike Simos and Bob Kelley delivered 300 books, valued at $2,400, to the school’s library. Tonight the two men will be given a reception at the school, at which school officials will formally accept the books.

“These days, when schools don’t have a lot of money, I think it’s tremendous support for private industry to help us like that,” Ensign Principal Scott Paulsen said.

Paulsen said the books are mainly popular novels that the students requested. One-third of the books are in Spanish.

Ralphs stores promoted the giveaway to “help the schools,” Simos said. “It’s a win-win situation. Customers saved receipts and collected stamps that they took to their schools, and the schools turned them in for books. It wasn’t a contest, and I was surprised more schools didn’t participate. People have to buy food anyway.”

Ralphs is repeating the promotion, which will run for 10 weeks. Any school can participate. Already, dozens of schools in Orange and Los Angeles counties are signed up, Simos said.