Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation
The Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation was founded by eleven school districts in southeastern Washington in 1996 as "The Reading Foundation," to encourage parents to read early and often with their children.
News and Events
KIWANIS STEPS UP AGAIN!
The Kiwanis Club of the Horse Heaven Hills held a fund raising dinner-dance on October 18, at the Clover Island Inn to benefit local charities, including the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation. Dinner, and dancing (with music provided by Highland Drive), plus a lively live auction highlighted the festive evening.
Kiwanian Doug Brown, organizer of the event, reported that MCRF will receive a check for $932 from the club. Kiwanis International has been a long time supporter of children's literacy.
BATTELLE EMPLOYEES SUPPORT EARLY READING MISSION
Employees of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have once again chosen to support the work of the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation through their annual "For The Love of Giving" campaign. PNNL is a national lab operated by Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio, for the U.S. Department of Energy, and employs over 4000 staff at their campus in Richland, Washington.
"For The Love of Giving" allows selected local non-profits to submit a "wish list" of office supplies and equipment needed for teh coming year. These items are them hung on holiday trees throughout the PNNL campus, whre staff may elected to purchase the items or make a cash donation. Items such as copier paper, printer ink, and paper clips are commonly requested.
This is the fourth consecutive year MCRF has been selected as a crecipient agency, thanks mainly to the recommendation of Tere Ellis, a lab technician at PNNL.
This unique and generous program allows us to put more mony on direct services, rather then on overhead and supplies, and that's a good thing, "said MCRF Executive Director Marc Harden.
Qwest Washington Supports First Teacher Libraries
Kirk R. Nelson, President of QWEST Communications of Washington (at right in photo, along with MCRF Executive Director Marc Harden, center, and Bob Gravely, Qwest Media relations), presented a $2500 grant to The Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation today to support placement of books in new teacher classrooms in Pasco and Burbank. This grant allows for the placement of 100 grade appropriate books in classrooms of newly graduated teachers in Kindergarten through third grade classrooms within the Qwest service area (Pasco and Columbia-Burbank School Districts). “This year we have had a record number of “First Teacher Library” requests from throughout our service area. Thirty-two brand new teachers have made requests so far this year,” reports MCRF Executive Director Marc Harden. “Request continue to trickle in as more new teachers learn of the program. We could not provide this service without the generous and continued support of Qwest of Washington.” This is Qwest’s third year as a sponsor of the program. Newly graduated kindergarten through third grade teachers are eligible for the new teachers libraries. “New teachers right out of college have very few resources for their classroom, especially books to read with young children. New teachers use these books to help kids not only learn to read, but learn to enjoy reading,” said Traci Blank, Programs Manager for the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation.” Blank speaks from experience as a former first grade teacher.
Eligible teachers may apply for the libraries by contacting the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation, 222.7323, or mharden@readingfoundation.orgBOOK WRITING CONTEST ANNOUNCED FOR CHILDREN
Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Columbia Center Mall is once again partnering with the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation to sponsor the fourth annual Mid-Columbia Children's Book Writing and Illustrating Contest. The contest is open to any person under the age of eighteen (18) who resides in Benton or Franklin Counties, or with the Columbia (Burbank) or Washtucna School Districts.
Click here for complete details and rules
McDonald's Summer Reading Program Sees record Number of Children
Almost 3000 children attended weekly reading events at local McDonalds restaurant's this summer, topping the previous year's record numbers by more than 30 percent! "The response this year was overwhelming, but wonderful," said Dena Lodahl, coordinator of the summer reading program. "We had times when there wasn't enough space left to move around the room," she added with a smile.
Adams Enterprises Tri-Cities, operators of McDonald's restaurants in the Mid-Columbia, has partnered with the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation for the past eleven years to offer mid-day story times for children and their parents. The program runs for ten weeks each summer and is now presented at four locations in Pasco, Kennewick, and Prosser. Each weekly hour-long event has a themed story time, often featuring someone from the community, such as a police officer, nurse, or firefigher, reading and interacting with the children.
Children attending are encouraged to read each week with the promise of a McDOnald's Happy Meal® coupon when they present proof of reading ten books during the week. All children attending also receive a snack, courtesy of McDonald's, and a free, new children's book from MCRF. A total of 2,920 children received books this summer.
Ronald McDonald also helps out by making an appearance at the first and closing session of the summer.
