[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 721

[Garry & Anne Krischock]

 Messages In This Digest (1 Message) 
  1. 1386: Book-toting Rotarians to promote literacy at L.A. convention From: Sunil K Zachariah 
Message 
  1. 1386: Book-toting Rotarians to promote literacy at L.A. convention 
 Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:21 am (PST) 
Book-toting Rotarians to promote literacy at L.A. convention

By Harriet Modler 

LA Convention Center Every Rotarian who brings a book to the 2008 RI 
Convention in Los Angeles will help boost literacy among 
schoolchildren in surrounding Rotary districts. The global 
initiative, called Rotary's Wide World of Books, aims to collect more 
than 250,000 books in different languages.

The books will be donated to students in grades K-3 attending public 
elementary schools in the seven hosting Rotary districts, which cover 
parts of Southern California and Southern Nevada. Students in 
California rank among the lowest in the nation in reading skills. 

The donated books will form a "book mountain" in the atrium of the 
Los Angeles Convention Center. Seating will be provided around the 
display so that convention attendees can read to local schoolchildren.

"It is symbolic that the mountain of books will be built atop the 
world map in the atrium's floor design," says Ingo Werk, chair of the 
initiative and past governor of District 5280. "[Among students] in 
Los Angeles Unified School District alone, 97 different languages are 
spoken."

Werk urges every attendee to join this historic event by bringing one 
or several books in the language of their choice. Organizers also 
hope the initiative will set a record for the world's largest book 
drive. A judge from Guinness World Records in London will be on hand 
to verify the results. 

Since 2000, a number of Southern California clubs have participated 
in Reading by 9, a multiyear campaign established by the Los Angeles 
Times that helps students in kindergarten through third grade read at 
grade level by the age of nine. 

Learn more about the Rotary's Wide World of Books at 
www.rotary2008.com.

Source: Rotary International News
Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary
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