AMERICA READS Event Honors
Founders and Supporters
The Cedar Rapids metro area hosted the 10th annual AMERICA READS: Reading Is Contagious, earlier in mid-October. Over a two-day period, more than 2,000 volunteers poured into elementary schools across the community to share a favorite book with area children. The program is a collaborative effort between the five metro area school districts (Cedar Rapids Community, College Community, Linn-Mar, Marion Independent, and Metro Catholic), with support from area organizations and businesses.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the literacy event, 10 individuals and organizations were inducted into an AMERICA READS: Reading Is Contagious “Hall of Fame.” Honorees were either helped to found the local event or have sustained it for each of the past 10 years. Inductees were honored at a special ceremony held at the Cedar Rapids Public Library and featuring entertainment by the Children’s Discovery Chorus. Hall of Fame honorees are: Judy Ernst, Cathy Hanson, Sue Pearson, Joe Winters, Barnes and Noble Bookstores, Cedar Rapids GAZETTE, Cedar River Paper Company, Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, Grant Wood Area Education Agency, and Rockwell Collins.
AMERICA READS is a national initiative of the U.S. Department of Education focusing attention on the importance of reading aloud to young children to improve literacy. Communities across the country host events that emphasize reading to children, promoting reading as a lifelong skill, centering attention on literacy in the schools, and demonstrating the joy of reading through collective citizen involvement.
“We chose Reading Is Contagious as a catch phrase for our local program to remind community members that reading is an epidemic worth spreading,” explained Marcia Hughes, metro chairperson. “The annual event serves as an important reminder that reading is vital to children and their reading success. By sharing a story with a child, AMERICA READS: Reading Is Contagious volunteers celebrate their love of reading for pleasure.”