A second fundraiser is being held for Cuesta College’s 2017 Book of the Year program. This year’s book is New York Times bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, written by award-winning science journalist Rebecca Skloot. Program organizers have partnered with the HumanKind Fair Trade store in San Luis Obispo to host a holiday shopping party on November 30, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Located at 984 Monterey Street, the store will donate 20 percent of sales proceeds to the Book of the Year program.

“So many people came out to support us at our first fundraiser in October, and we are hoping even more stop by this fundraiser to learn about this year’s book and to get a little holiday shopping in at the same time,” said Book of the Year Committee Chair and Cuesta College Librarian Carina Love.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction narrative detailing the little known life story of an African-American woman who died of cancer but whose cells - harvested without her knowledge or permission in the 1950s - launched a medical revolution. Two members of the Lacks family will appear at Cuesta College for a presentation and book-signing event on April 12, 2017.

“Henrietta’s descendants will speak candidly and poignantly about the Lacks family experiences and the grandmother and great-grandmother whose cancerous cell tissue has become a foundation for the multimillion dollar industry that sells human biological materials,” said Love.

The April 12th event will be open to the public and held in Cuesta College’s Cultural and Performing Arts Center (CPAC) from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale February 1, 2017, and will be available for purchase online at www.cpactickets.cuesta.edu or by calling (805) 546-3198. General admission is $5.00; students and veterans are free with reservation by calling (805) 546-3190.

Now in its ninth year, the annual Book of the Year program includes workshops, book discussions, and other activities leading up to the event featuring the Lacks family in April. A calendar will be released in January 2017 detailing the full schedule of events.

The Book of the Year is a project of Cuesta College’s Academic Senate in partnership with San Luis Obispo County Public Library SLO Reads. For more information, please visit library.cuesta.edu/book/, follow the Book of the Year program on Facebook and Twitter or contact Carina Love at clove@cuesta.edu.