DOVER, Del. --- Zaria Hathorn and her sister Hailey Willard hoped to collect 500 books and raise $5,000 to help build a new library for a Montessori school in Africa.
Hathorn, 13, and Willard, 8, whose social media broadcasts of bedtime stories garnered them national attention, partnered with South Dover Elementary School to collect the books for the school in Ghana.
What the girls didn't expect was that students would help smash their goal of 500 books, contributing to a haul of more than 6,000 books.
"I was very surprised about how much stuff they raised," Willard said.
The girls on Friday celebrated the end of the book drive by throwing a pizza party for students in the classroom that collected the most books for the drive.
Hathorn said she was happy to see students from South Dover Elementary, a school she once attended, helping out in the cause. She said she hopes the drive will encourage more kids to volunteer or help out in their communities.
"To make a difference in the community...you just need to help!" she said.
The sisters are both working on a book and plan to visit Africa to help deliver the books to the school.
