Friday Fun Post: Tribute to Stephanie

Hey guys, Katie C. is here, and for today's Friday fun post, I’m actually going to talk a bit about the founder of TBF, Stephanie Squicciarini, who unfortunately past away last year. 

I’ve been going to TBF for years now, but it wasn’t until my first year of being a volunteer blogger that I learned who the real mastermind behind all the craziness and fun that is TBF as well as the intense organization and planning that not many people know about. Making TBF a reality is no easy feat, especially back in 2006 when TBF first began. But Stephanie loved books and reading so much and was determined enough to start a tradition that last year, roughly 2500 teens participated in. 

This is my third year as a book blogger for TBF and honestly, my biggest regret was not taking the time to get to know Stephanie better while I still had the chance. All throughout her life, Stephanie was super involved with the Fairport public library, but because I’m a Canandaigua native, I never really got the chance to say hi or attend a library program. However, while I may not have gotten as close to her as I wanted, I still have some really amazing memories of her.

I remember Stephanie from my very first year attending TBF, back in 2014. The theme that year was steam punk, and she was right out in front of the crowd with red curly hair and a top hat with goggles on the front. I thought it was the coolest hat I'd ever seen. I remember just last year when I asked Stephanie if there was any chance I could get an extra TBF shirt and instead of handing me one, she took me and some of the other book bloggers to the back of the library and gave us each multiple shirts any color we wanted. All out of the kindness of hear heart. I remember seeing her sometimes at festivals. No matter what she was doing, she was doing it with a smile and with a heart full of passion.

Its been almost a year with out Stephanie in our lives, and TBF hasn't, and will never, be the same without her. But while Stephanie may no longer be with us, she lives on through the things she did for so many teens and the wonderful tradition she started and kept going for 13 years. Stephanie Squicciarini will always be missed, but never forgotten.