Generosity makes difference for kids

Every summer, the Yuma County Library District invites local youths to participate in our Summer Reading Program. Research has shown that having children read four or five books during the summer can prevent the reading achievement losses that normally occur over those months.
 
Not only do we wish children to continue reading while school is out of session, but we also encourage them to read for pleasure.  In doing this, we offer a number of special events as well as incentives.
 
This year, the program was a rousing success. We had over 2,000 children participate in the reading program and over 9,000 attend special events. Even more exciting, those children read over 20,000 books!
 
In order to be successful, the library depends on grants and donations from local businesses to provide reading incentives to the children. This year, we had a phenomenal number of sponsors that supported our programs. In addition to receiving numerous coupons and other prizes, every child who completed a reading record received a paperback book and a book bag.
 
The library district would like to thank the following for their generous support of our programs: the Friends of the Yuma County Libraries, the Friends of the Wellton Library, the Federated Garden Club of Yuma, Golden Corral, Hometown Buffet, Kohl’s Department Store, Main Street Cinemas, Pizza Hut in the Foothills, Roundtable Pizza, Texas Roadhouse, Wal-Marts on Avenue B, Foothills, and San Luis, Wendy’s and the Yuma Community Foundation.
 
We would also like to thank the following for taking time from their busy schedules to provide special presentations for us: Juliette Gutierrez of the Imperial Wildlife Refuge, Mark Williamson of Desert Web Exterminating and the fire departments from the Foothills, Somerton and San Luis.
 
In addition, we are also grateful to the Yuma County Health Department for presenting a special storytime each week and to Charlene Story and the Yuma Union High School District for arranging for free lunches to be distributed at the library.
 
We sincerely appreciate the support of the community. You are truly making a difference in children’s lives!


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DEBBIE SOCHA
Yuma