'Beers for Books' at Lavaca Street Bar

AUSTIN (KXAN) - What do you get when you mix beer with bingo? Books!

At least, that's the case for the first fundraising event of the year, called "Beers for Books," sponsored by the Austin chapter of "Room to Read." It includes playing bingo while imbibing with friends for a good cause.

"We're introducing America's favorite combination of pure chance and loud yells," according to Beers for Books event organizers.

The bingo games are scheduled for Friday, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Lavaca Street Bar, 405 Lavaca St., with all proceeds going to Austin's RTR.

RTR is a national nonprofit organization that raises funds to help develop literacy skills, a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with life skills to succeed in Africa and Asia.

RTR has built more than 13,000 libraries in underserved countries and impacted more than 1, 500 schools, all based on the dream of its founder, John Wood, a former Microsoft executive who left the corporate world in 1998 and started the nonprofit organization.  Wood put his own story into book form in 2006 as the memoir " Leaving Microsoft to Change the World."

According to the organization, Room to Read’s programs have reached more than five million children and hopes to improve literacy for 10 million children by 2015.

Last year, the Austin chapter raised more than $80,000 to build a school in Sri Lanka, fund a library in India, donate thousands of books, and provide dozens of girls with scholarships, according to Sherrie Nguyen, Austin chapter president.

Game cards for Friday night's bingo will cost $2 for one card or $5 for three cards. The event includes special drink prices, which will be donated to RTR.

B4B organizers hope to raise enough money to fund 500 books through Room to Read's Local Language Publishing program.

For more information, view the Austin chapter's Facebook page.