FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
Kristin Calder, CEO
561-279-9103
Kcalder@LiteracyPBC.org
Literacy Coalition Celebrates Successful Read for the Record
Municipalities compete for largest participation
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla., Dec. 5, 2016 — The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is celebrating another successful Read for the Record. The nonprofit coordinated more than 16,000 adults and children at nearly 450 childcare centers and schools throughout Palm Beach County for Jumpstart’s annual campaign. Read for the Record focuses on getting thousands of adults to read a selected book on a single day to children everywhere.
Nationwide, more than 2.35 million children and adults united in this year’s Read for the Record as they gathered to read The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach. The book is a classic tale of a bear’s epic journey as told by a dog as he explains how one delicious sandwich went missing! The campaign is funded locally by the PNC Foundation and Comcast.
Mayors and public officials competed in the Coalition’s annual contest to see which municipality would have the greatest number of community leaders reading. In all, 119 municipality officials and staff read at 56 sites to more than 3,721 children. The winners in the competition between municipalities are:
- Boynton Beach – Large City category
- Lantana – Small City category
- Honorable mentions go to the cities of Palm Springs, Lake Worth and West Palm Beach
The Literacy Coalition also hosted a Read for the Record celebration at the Blume Literacy Center in Boynton Beach for about 75 pre-school students. The students are part of the Coalition’s early literacy programs, including the Budding Readers program and the Glades Family Education program. In addition to being read the book, the children participated in engaging hands-on activities like an alphabet relay race, animal yoga, and singing.
The Coalition is grateful for everyone who supported Read for the Record locally. Special thanks to members of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue for their participation.
About the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
A recipient of the coveted 4-star Charity Navigator rating for eight consecutive years, the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County works to improve the quality of life in our community by promoting and achieving literacy. One in seven adults in our county is unable to read and understand information found in books, newspapers and manuals and nearly half of all third graders are not reading on grade level. Through extensive outreach and collaboration with a network of community partners, the Literacy Coalition strives to ensure that individuals who need to improve their literacy skills receive the help they need. By providing services to more than 27,000 adults, children and families each year, the Literacy Coalition’s goal is for every child and every adult in Palm Beach County to be able to read.
