DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — Iowa’s Biggest Book Sale, which Planned Parenthood ran for more than 60 years in Des Moines before Altoona’s Caring Hands Outreach took it over last winter, has been canceled this year. Leaders of Caring Hands, a Christian nonprofit agency in Altoona, said Tuesday that they “need to reallocate resources to meet the most pressing needs of our neighbors.”

Caring Hands CEO Jodi Urich said in a news release, “While we deeply value the tradition of our annual book sale, we cannot ignore the urgent call to action in addressing food insecurity within our community.Our primary mission has always been to serve those in need, and at this critical time, our focus must remain on ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry.”

Officials with Planned Parenthood North Central States announced last year that October’s book sale fundraiser would be their last. The biannual book sale raised more than $10 million since it started in 1961 at the now-closed Katz Drug Store. That year, $2,650 was raised on the sale of about 13,000 books. Caring Hands in December said they planned to take over the sale.

Caring Hands leaders said in Tuesday’s news release that they are “committed to supporting the efforts of the book committee in finding a larger organization to continue this beloved community event in the future.” Urich said “Our collaboration with them reflects our shared commitment to enriching our community through literacy and education.”