Parents of Late Hillcrest Alumna Give 1,200 Books to Tuscaloosa Library Bookstore

The parents of a Hillcrest alumna who recently passed away from leukemia donated more than 1,200 books and $500 to the non-profit Friends of the Tuscaloosa Public Library Bookstore in her honor on Thursday.

Michael and Holly Beck gave the gift on what would have been their daughter's 24th birthday.

Lauren Beck, a graduate of Tuscaloosa County's Hillcrest High School who also earned an undergraduate Communications degree from UAB, died at 23 in March following an extended battle with leukemia.

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Her parents created the Lauren Beck Memorial Book Drive to celebrate her life, a spokesperson for the bookstore said in a press release, and her deep love of reading.

“Books were Lauren’s life,” Holly Beck said. “Even when she was sick, they gave her joy, comfort, and escape. Starting this drive felt like the best way to honor her spirit. We hope to continue it every year on her birthday.”

Through their efforts, the drive resulted in the donation of 1,200 books and more than $500 to the nonprofit.

Many of the works are children's books and young adult novels, which her parents said were especially dear to their daughter.

“Lauren was our inspiration,” said her father, Michael Beck. “She was just beginning to find her purpose, and this book drive allows us to carry forward the love she had for life and for others.”

The Friends of the Tuscaloosa Public Library is a nonprofit run by volunteers that sells books and other items at affordable prices to fund programs, resources, and initiatives at TPL. One of their volunteers, Roots Woodruff, said this donation will benefit other young, curious minds like Lauren's.

“The Lauren Beck Memorial Book Drive is not only a beautiful tribute to an incredible young woman, but also a gift that will continue to enrich the Tuscaloosa community and the Tuscaloosa Public Library going forward," Woodruff said. "Lauren was a young woman who not only frequented the Friends of the Tuscaloosa Public Library Bookstore and the TPL itself, but who loved reading and delighted in sharing books far and wide. That makes this tribute all the more fitting—a lasting legacy that honors her memory in a meaningful way.”

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This story was made possible thanks to information submitted to the Tuscaloosa Thread. If you have information about a nonprofit or local organization and would like to see it published, don't hesitate to get in touch with editor Stephen Dethrage at stephen.dethrage@townsquaremedia.com.