We have decided to celebrate turning 10 with giveaways and the launch of our newest program Beyond the Bookmark! Make reading fun again with our handpicked books and carefully curated activities. Each box is designed to engage children and inspire a passion for reading. Interested in winning one of our Beyond the Bookmark boxes? Click the button below to enter! We will be giving away 10 of our boxes each valued over $75! Want to learn more? Click the button below!
From the Owners
We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible school administrators, librarians, vendors, suppliers, and especially our employees, who have shaped I55 into what it is today! Your support, dedication, and partnership mean the world to us, and we are truly thankful.Â
Above all, we give all glory and thanks to God for blessing us with this journey. His hand has guided us through some spectacular highs and some deep lows. Through it all, we have seen incredible growth, and we are in awe of the grace, favor, and opportunities He has provided. The kindness, enthusiasm, and love you all have shown along the way have been nothing short of amazing, and we know that every step has been part of His plan.Â
Please take a moment to browse the timeline below—each of you has been a vital part of our journey. Thank you for an incredible 10 years!Â
Glenn & Jennifer HawleyÂ
Our Timeline
2015
I55 Fundraising is officially registered as a business. The work begins!
2016
2016
We shipped our first book fair out of the living room of our duplex home. We were also blessed with a great deal on a truck and trailer so we could deliver our local fairs.
2017
We learn that the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. Glenn was returning from Dallas with one of our biggest fairs to date on his open flatbed trailer and an unexpected storm popped up and soaked the books to the bone. God provided and we learned to lean on our shipping partners (and traded up for an enclosed trailer)!
2018
For the first time ever our annual sales topped $100,000!
2019
We officially changed our name to I55 Book Fairs. Covid was starting to show its ugly head, and we pivoted to online book fairs to keep afloat.
2020
2020
Two major milestones: For the first time ever the Hawleys didn’t have to share their home with I55. It may have only been 600 sq ft, but what a blessing. We also shipped our 100th fair!
2021
In the same year Jennifer quit her job at a local church to work full–time for I55, we also hired our first warehouse employee and customer service representative.
2021
2022
2022
Things are really starting to heat up. We moved out of the overflowing 600 sq ft space and into 5000 sq ft of converted day care gymnasium. It couldn’t have been a more perfect space. We start sending the precursor to our famous mini bookfair. Â
2023
We thought we knew what it meant to grow before… we were wrong! The Lord blessed I55 with over a 100% growth rate. We hired our first full-time employees and shipped our 1000th fair!!
2023
2024
2024
The growth continues: we win the Inc 5000 award for the 124th fastest growing company in America and the 2nd fastest growing company in the Brazos valley. With all that growth the 5000 sq ft gymnasium was bursting at the seams and the Lord provided a beautiful 17,000 sq ft space for us.
2025
We are now over 40 employees strong with both day and night shift workers serving customers in 47 states. We are proud to announce the addition of Beyond the Bookmark to the I55 family. Â
