Meet the man organizing a fundraiser for the Brooklyn Public Library

NEW YORK -  In light of budget cuts to New York City's public library systems , a Park Slope man decided to launch a fundraiser to support the Brooklyn Public Library .

New Yorker hoping to raise $50,000 for Brooklyn Public Library

Park Slope resident Peter Goldwasser really loves two things: books and running.  A longtime supporter of the Brooklyn Public Library, he decided to combine the two and organize a fundraising race scheduled for Saturday, May 11.

"I can't think of any institution that provides so much for the community, above and beyond books ," he tells CBS New York's Hannah Kliger.

It's a run he is calling " Browse the Branches ," taking inspiration from the library's own initiative launched earlier this year to encourage patrons to visit every location.

BPL spokesperson Fritzi Bodenheimer says the library has had patrons who have biked to all the branches, taken public transportation, or gone building-by-building sketching all the libraries.

"It's very expensive to run over 60 locations and buildings. So we're grateful for any support that we can get," Bodenheimer says of the effort.

See the Brooklyn Public Library fundraiser race map

Goldwasser says the race will have two different courses. A shorter 5k version will start in Greenpoint, at the northernmost branch in the system and end by Central Library in Prospect Heights. The more ambitious can run the full 13.50-mile course down to the Coney Island branch, the southernmost location in the borough.

So far Goldwasser says more than 20 runners signed up. The goal is to get 62, to represent each library branch. At about $800 a person, he hopes to collect about $50,000, all of which will be going to the Brooklyn Public Library System .

As these runners lace up their sneakers and train, dozens of spots remain open. Goldwasser says those who want to get involved can email Run4BPL@gmail.com or click here .

Brooklyn residents running to support public library

Sunset Park resident and avid runner, Clark McCaskill, is among the participants. He's been training on the weekends by running from library to library.

"I'm doing the Browse the Branches, but running it, so it'll be a total of 77 miles and 62 branches," he says.

Brooklyn Heights resident Blake Foote, a lifelong library supporter and former board member, will also be running.

"It helps really emphasize how much the library is spread out because I think every Brooklynite is within one mile of a branch," she says.

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