Reading Foundation a Big Hit at October Sky Festival

The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Tennessee Valley was a big hit at the October Sky Festival in Oliver Springs on October 22, 2011. 

“Parents were bringing their children of all ages to talk about how much they enjoyed reading to their children” said Allen Lutz, a member of the Reading Foundation at the festival in Oliver Springs. “We had grandparents telling stories about reading to their children, as their children, now parents, talked about reading to their children.” 

With so many parents visiting the Reading Foundation tent, it was a good thing three students from the Tennessee Technology Center at Harriman volunteered to work in the tent. The students, Brandi Beckner, Amber Lowe and Rachel Jones, are parents with their own young children.  

In a letter to the student volunteers, James Leitnaker, President of the Children’s Reading Foundation of the Tennessee Valley, wrote, “You clearly showed your support for the Reading Foundation’s message of ‘read to a child for twenty minutes every day’ in your actions and enthusiastic attitude. Because of your efforts, the parents of 159 children know that, when it comes to preparing a child to begin learning to read, parents make the difference!” 

One of those 159 children became the third winner of a $50 U.S. Savings Bond in a free drawing sponsored by the Reading Foundation.  Ethan Craig, three year old son of Amanda Craig from Oliver Springs, was the savings bond winner.  

In addition to telling parents about the importance of reading to children, the student volunteers collected twenty-four new enrollments for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.  The children enrolled are from Anderson, Monroe, Morgan and Roane Counties.  

The Roane Imagination Library also contributed twenty-five books that were given to children as a separate drawing. "The Children's Reading Foundation and Roane Imagination Library are working toward the same objective," said Jill McMaster, Roane Imagination Library coordinator, "instilling in children a love of reading and books."