The Cumberland County 4-H Horse and Pony Club will kick off its 100-year celebration with a book donation to a local library.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Amelia Givin Library, located at 114 N. Baltimore Avenue, in Mt. Holly Springs. The event is open to the public and will include the book donation, various animals for all to enjoy and a presentation by children’s literature author Camille Matthews. Matthews will also have books for sale and to be autographed.

To celebrate the 100 years of 4-H in Pennsylvania, the club will donate 100 books to the library. The event was organized by Debra McLaughlin, community service leader.

Club member Jill Kerstetter noted that 100-book goal will be exceeded.

“The goal was to collect and donate 100 books,” Kerstetter said. “I have another 49 sitting in my living room.”

She mentioned that along with her own miniature horses, there will be alpacas and rabbits at the event. Members of the 4-H Horse and Pony Club will also be present to give information on horses, horse care and competitions with them. The event is part of a community service project for the group.

Matthews is known for her books “Quincy Finds a New Home” and “Quincy Moves to the Desert,” which are based off a true horse with the same name. Both have won gold Mom’s Choice Awards for 2010 and 2011, respectively, and a new book “Quincy and Buck” will be released sometime this year. Matthews believes that children are able to relate with Quincy through his experiences.

“His early life was filled with everyday challenges that children go through,” she said. “I think all children have empathy for animals.”

Lisa Webber, children’s programmer at the Amelia Givin Library, said that the donation comes at a great time for the library.

“Due to budget cuts we have experienced, we have decreased the amount we can spend on new books,” Webber said. “This donation helps us add books that we would not be able to afford otherwise.”

She also said that the aspect of animals is equally exciting for the event. “If we can get a child to come to the library because an animal is here, hopefully he or she will leave with a book in hand.”

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