Jersey Shore Bookstore’s Unique Fundraiser Keeps Staff Up All Night Reading

A person reading in a bookstore window at 3AM isn't a typical occurrence, but it's one Manasquan residents have come to expect every November over the past four years.

BookTowne, located on Main Street, held its annual Read-A-Thon on Nov. 15 to benefit a local charity. As part of the event, booksellers and local celebrity readers take turns reading in the independent bookstore's window. BookTowne solicits donations in store and online for the duration of the unique fundraiser.

This year, the recipient charity was Team Tyler/POAC Autism Services.

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What Is Team Tyler/POAC Austism Services?

"We like to do our events around a very local/community driven organization. The past organizations were The Common Ground Grief Center, Kindness Cafe and last year The Ocean Is Female," said Peter Albertelli, owner of BookTowne. "Tyler lives in the community and is very active with POAC and their yearly walk, where he raises money for it, so we thought we'd help him out in his fundraising for the 2026 POAC walk."

POAC Autism Services is a nonprofit that provides training and events focused on helping those with autism, as well as their parents and the community members who support them.

Why Does BookTowne Host a Read-A-Thon?

Albertelli said the idea for the fundraiser stemmed from a rock-a-thon event at his childhood church.

"We would go around our neighborhood and family members to have them sponsor us. On a Saturday night the group of us would go to the church basement and rock in a rocking chair for 12 hours nonstop. If you stopped you were eliminated," he said. "This is the basis of us starting the Read-A-Thon: hours of reading, without stopping."

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How Does BookTowne's Read-A-Thon Work?

The event is divided into two segments: one during the day and one overnight. From 11AM to 4PM, the local celebrities, which include teachers, the mayor, and directors of local organizations, read in the window.

During the second reading round, BookTowne's booksellers gather in the store for a dinner together. The store then reopens from 7PM to 8PM for an open house with the charity. BookTowne donates 10 percent of any purchases made at the store during the hour back to the charity. The booksellers then blow up an air mattress in the store and take two-hour shifts reading in the window.

"It's sort of selfish of us in a way because who wouldn't want to sleep in a bookstore amongst the smell of the books on the shelves?" Albertelli joked.

The final total for this year's event is still being tallied, but BookTowne has raised over $9,000 over the years.

Love supporting local independent bookstores like BookTowne? Keep reading for a complete list of Jersey Shore booksellers.