The Advisory Board of First Book UC-RWC was recently awarded two grants that will help further their mission of being able to provide children of low income families the opportunity to read and own their own first new books. A $500 award from Youth Service America/Verizon was used to sponsor “Our Heroes Read” at Kenwood Towne Center for the second year.
The event, which was held on Saturday, March 11, was held in conjunction with the National Education Association’s much larger campaign, Read Across America. First Book UC-RWC sponsored “Our Heroes Read” to help focus on the importance of reading for success in life among children.
With the help of Dean Dolores Straker, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, and RWC student Sarah Collins, as The Cat in the Hat, free new books were given to parents and children at the event. In order to send a symbolic message that by reading, success is possible, various educators and corporate and organizational leaders autographed these new books.
While mingling with the crowd, Mayor Mallory not only offered words of wisdom on the value of reading to both children and parents but also shared that he was a former librarian.