Many say there is nothing more relaxing than curling up with a good book.

On Saturday, July 28, more than 6,000 books will be on sale as part of a fund raiser for United Way, with help from the local Toastmasters Club.

The sale will be held across from North Fort Myers-based Lee County Electric Cooperative, Inc. headquarters, part of an LCEC and their local Toastmaster Club’s efforts.

“We have books by many famous authors, including Stephen King, Robin Cook, James Patterson and romance writer Barbara Taylor Bradford,” said LCEC’s Dianne Lawrence. A key organizer for the event, she also is the outgoing president of the local Electric Toasters Toastmasters Club, which meets at LCEC twice a month.

The huge donation of books to help with the fund raiser came by chance.

“A local bookstore, The Book Rack, recently went out of business and I happened to be in the store,” said Lawrence. “The owner was in the process of going out of business, and contemplating what to do with her inventory. She then decided to donate her entire inventory.”

The United Way is an outstanding cause, she said. United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties supports more than 160 programs and 72 local partner agencies including the Children’s Advocacy Center, Harry Chapin Food Bank and the Children’s Network of SWFL. 90 percent of donated funds go directly to support people in need.

“LCEC does fund raisers on a regular basis to support United Way. We agreed as the Toastmasters to assist LCEC in this book sale. We have a lot of books to sell and you can’t beat the price of 50 cents a book.”

People are still actually reading books, she believes. “We want to be there for the people who read. I still like crawling up in bed with a book.”

From those sorting the books now, they say there will be everything from science fiction to romance, thrillers, autobiographies and cookbooks.

One of the sorters and fellow organizers is LCEC and Toastmaster’s Robin Dunlap, who has been busy on site organizing for the sale. She is the VP of Education for the club, who has spent numerous hours organizing all the titles. She’s a DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster), the highest level of Toastmasters.

The site is what all call “the old bank building” which sits across from LCEC headquarters at 4941 Bayline Dr., near the cemetery there. The sale will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Electric Toasters meet the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 12:05 p.m. at LCEC, 4980 Bayline Dr. The current president is Jen McClain.

The club members are more than friendly and the atmosphere relaxed. The meetings are open to the public, and are more than just improving public speaking. Officials said it is a place where you develop and grow – both personally and professionally. In the club meetings, you practice giving prepared speeches as well as brief impromptu presentations, known as Table Topics.

For information, call VP of Public Relations Lindy Smith at 738-9084 or email dianne.lawrence@lcec.net.