Cheryl Makin

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The chapter's first program will be a "Frozen"-themed party at 1:30 p.m. Sunday

Along with activities and games, the Harry Potter Alliance is running a coat drive

The East Brunswick Public Library has formed a chapter of an international organization, the Harry Potter Alliance

EAST BRUNSWICK – Welcoming teen wizards and muggles alike, the newly formed chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance at the East Brunswick Public Library seeks to perform a type of magic that can save the world. Like in the famed novels, that magic is grounded in love, said organizer Jess Hader, 16.

According to Hader, the library's chapter — Dobby's Favorite Sock — is part of an international organization that turns "fans into heros." On Sunday, the group will hold its first program, a "Frozen" party centered around a coat and winter accessory drive.

"The Harry Potter Alliance takes themes, morals and values that have been in young adult novels such as the Harry Potter series, and 'The Hunger Games' and applies them to how they could work in our world," Hader said. "Like all the heroes, we are average kids. But we are taught that people can do anything. Harry, Katniss — they all raised awareness of that."

An international organization

According to the website for the international organization of the same name, the mission is "to change the world by making activism accessible through the power of story." Using Harry Potter and "friends" as inspiration, the Harry Potter Alliance has led more than 40 campaigns in literacy, human rights, equality and empowerment since 2005.

Hader said that when "The Hunger Games" movies were released, the Harry Potter Alliance released a section of their "Odds in Our Favor" campaign for each movie, Hader said.

"This was basically to show that poverty exists, even in America, and people go hungry right around the corner," she said. "The campaign informed us to look and think about the message that you are seeing in the movies. That message is important. There are economic inequalities that we can relate to today in our world. The campaign raised awareness about difficulties that everyone is experiencing now.

According to Hader, the Harry Potter Alliance has "done countless projects." Among the programs cast by the international organization are "Accio Books!," an annual book drive. Since 2009, Harry Potter fans around the world have donated more than 200,000 books to underprivileged or underserved readers and helped build libraries at The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, community centers in the Mississippi Delta, the Bedford-Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School in New York, and the Brightmoor Community Center in Detroit.

They also raised more than $123,000 for Partners In Health to send five cargo planes full of lifesaving supplies to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010.

Making community service fun

Hader said the Harry Potter Alliance was further charged to do what they do by a quote from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling: "We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to Imagine Better."

"Because the purpose of the Harry Potter Alliance is to take teens and young adults to empower them to become leaders in their communities through things they have already been exposed to and love," said the junior at Ilan High School in Deal. "So, it makes community service more fun and relatable, and I think that is a great thing to have anywhere."

Eager to get in on this type of action, Hader, who originally heard about the Harry Potter Alliance from a YouTube blog, approached Teen Librarian Jessica Schneider with her idea of forming a chapter.

"I thought it was great," Schneider said. "Teens can come to the meetings and help with the projects. It's also a great way for me to be able to provide volunteer opportunities and give out community-service hours here at the library."

After a session at the "brainstorm table," the library's chapter first met in October, with several meetings since. The group has about 10 teens actively involved and hope to attract more to their mission.

Sarah Paley, 16, a junior at East Brunswick High School, joined the Harry Potter Alliance because she thought it would be interesting to apply themes of beloved novels to real life.

"It is always the right time to start a great adventure," added Anthony Parfilko, 16, a junior at East Brunswick High School.

It's not make believe

The international organization has more than 275 chapters in 25 countries and in 43 states in the U.S. Hader and Schneider, hoping theirs will become an official chapter, recently submitted the application. As all chapters are required to host programs, Dobby's Favorite Sock is adding a bit of Disney magic to the repertoire. The chapter's first spell (program) comes in the form of a "Frozen"-themed party at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the library.

At the early December meeting, the teens pitched the party plans to Aaron Picket, the library's Youth Services manager. They formally presented their plans — in a PowerPoint presentation — and ironed out details.

"The 'Frozen' craze is sweeping the nation — the entire world, really," Hader said. "But there is a bigger picture here. In the movie, suddenly they had winter in summer and no one was prepared for it. Elsa froze her world in summer and the citizens of Arrendale are in summer clothing. They had no warmth and no firewood, only ice. In our real nonmagical winter, there are people who are not prepared for winter and without proper winter clothing who are going to have similar conditions to those in Arrendale. Only they aren't in Arrendale, they are right here. It's not make-believe."

The library's chapter was able to run with this concept and "turn it into a real Harry Potter Alliance project." Along with a variety of fun activities and games, the Harry Potter Alliance will be running a coat drive in the hopes of collecting coats and other winter clothing items, such as a bring a hat, gloves or scarves to donate to those in need. Dobby's Favorite Sock is partnering with the nonprofit organization One Warm Coat for the collection.

"This also ties the party into the community-service aspect of the Harry Potter Alliance mission," Schneider said.

Open to all ages, there are separate winter and "Frozen"-themed activities for preschoolers, children and tweens, Schneider said. These include "Pin the Nose on Olaf," face painting, a photo booth, costume parade, story-telling, crafts, cooking, raffles and a scavenger hunt. Children and their families are encouraged to come in costume, and the party will show the "Frozen Sing-Along" version of the movie.

For more information on the library's chapter, visit http://dobbypotteralliance.webstarts.com, email dobbysfavoritesock@gmail.com or contact Schneider at 732-390-6789.

For more information about the international Happy Potter Alliance organization, visit www.thehpalliance.org.

For more information about One Warm Coat, visit http://onewarmcoat.force.com/onewarmcoat/CoatDrivePDF?id=a0Z80000004VdQNEA0 or http://onewarmcoat.org/donate/donate-a-coat/.

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256; cmakin@mycentraljersey.com