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Reading to Kids News
December 19, 2024
 

Dear Friends of Reading to Kids,

Even though Saturday was the first day of their 3-week Winter break, we had 340 kids, 236 volunteers, 90 parents, and 25 teachers & staff make our December 14th reading clubs a festive success!

Santa visits the Magnolia Elementary reading clubs
(Click on the above image to see it full size)

Santa and Mrs. Claus at Alta Loma Elem. with read-aloud books   Kindergartners at Alta Loma Elem. enjoying Chicka Chicka Ho Ho Ho at the reading clubs
(Click on either image to see it full size)

The Grinch made another appearance, this year at Tenth St. Elementary, where you can see below that he tried to steal presents! Check our Instagram for this video reel and be sure to turn on the sound!

The Grinch at the Tenth St. Elementary reading clubs
(Click on the above image for a video reel on Instagram)

Santa and volunteers at Charles White Elem. reading clubs

We extend a special thank you to our Santa Clauses, Mrs. Clauses, and elves for bringing the North Pole to the reading clubs, and to the Pasadena Jaycees for once again providing the Santa suits!

Please consider volunteering for Operation Santa and bringing joy to children in need on Christmas Eve! Click here or email them at OpSanta@PasadenaJaycees.org!

Pico Cleaners logo

Reading to Kids also thanks Pico Cleaners for once again generously donating dry cleaning of the Santa suits after these December reading clubs!

Two More 100th Reading Clubs Milestones!

Esperanza had two more volunteers join our prestigious 100+ Reading Clubs Milestone certificate winners!

In the below photo below (left to right) are Gloria Greengard, Sharon Brown, Mark May, Cathy Ostiller, and David Rickard, all wearing their 100+ Reading Club name badges.

Five 100+ Milestone Certificate Earners Gloria Greengard, Sharon Brown, Mark May, Cathy Ostiller, and David Rickard
(Click on the above image to see it full size)
Gloria and Sharon are holding their 100th Milestone certificates they earned on Saturday, while Mark holds his 260th and David holds his 270th certificates they also earned that morning. Together these five represent more than 830 reading clubs!
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JANUARY 11TH READING CLUBS

Please be sure to sign up for the next reading clubs!   Click here to submit your RSVP for our "Mysteries & New Adventures" clubs, then "join" the January 11th reading club event on Facebook and invite your friends!

We'll need hundreds of volunteers for these January reading clubs, so be sure to sign up early and recruit your friends, co-workers, and family members as volunteers!

Operations volunteers at Charles White Elementary
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ANNUAL FUND DRIVE UPDATE & WINNERS SO FAR:
FINAL TWO WEEKS TO DONATE!

Reading to Kids Annual Fund Drive

Since Saturday's reading clubs we received another $9,308 from 78 donors towards our 2024 Annual Fund Drive!

Thanks to those generous volunteer readers and the Facebook fundraisers created by volunteers Matthew Jones, Mark May, and Jessica Chong, we have now raised $46,231 overall from 323 donors!

The names of the new donors have already been added to our 2024 Annual Fund Drive page, and here are the school competition stats so far:

SCHOOL COMPETITION WINNERS!

Highest percentage of volunteers who donated at the Dec. 14th reading clubs:
1st: Gratts (a new leader with 38%!)
2nd: Magnolia (33%)
3rd: MacArthur Park (25%)

Highest dollar amount raised at the Dec. 14th reading clubs:
1st: Alta Loma
2nd: Gratts and White (tied this month!)

Highest percentage of volunteers who have donated overall so far:
1st: Magnolia (with an impressive 43%!)
2nd: Alta Loma (36%)
3rd: MacArthur Park

Highest dollar amount raised overall so far:
1st: Esperanza Elementary (thanks to Angel fundraiser Mark May)
2nd: Magnolia
3rd: Alta Loma

All of the Dec. 14th volunteer donations will be doubled by our matching donors at every school!

Our overall goal by the end of the year is to raise $65,000 from 500 donors.

Here's how you can help, with your donations being counted towards the school competition:

1) Make a pledge to donate by check or donate online today by visiting our 2024 Annual Fund Drive. Contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated!

2) Show your support by asking friends and family to contribute! Visit our 2024 Annual Fund Drive page and look under the "Help us Fundraise!" header for resources, including information on creating your own personalized fundraising page on Facebook, our handy donor sheet for raising money with your friends and co-workers, tips for fundraising, and so much more.

Once they know about Reading to Kids, many of your friends and family will want to donate - we just need you to ask!

Also, if your workplace matches donations to nonprofits, please share with them your donation, and ask them to consider matching it. In this way you double your donation and share with others your enthusiasm for Reading to Kids!

Reading to Kids Annual Fund Drive
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RUN WITH US
AT THE 2025 LA MARATHON OR LA 5K!

Do you know any runners? Are you a runner? Please forward this email to them and ask them to join Team Reading to Kids in the 2025 Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 16th!

Team Reading to Kids logo

This is our 11th time running the marathon, and we're looking for more marathon runners to join us in one of the best marathons in the country.

Or, you can join us in the LA 5K (that's just 3.1 miles) near Dodger Stadium the day before the marathon on Saturday, March 15.

If you or a runner you know is interested in becoming one of our fundraising runners or creating a fundraising team, please email Chris Martin at marathon@readingtokids.org!

IMPORTANT NOTE: To register to run on behalf of Reading to Kids, you MUST receive from us a special web address to use when registering on the Los Angeles Marathon website.

Team Reading to Kids LA Marathon runners
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4 COMPUTERS OR TABLETS WANTED
TO GIVE TO KIDS!

At our January reading clubs we would love to give away a computer or iPad/tablet to one lucky kid at each school.

If you or your employer have any working computers that are less than 6 years old running Windows 10 or later, or any Macintosh computers less than 7 years old, or any iPads or similar tablets, we can give them to deserving kids!

We especially need working computers (CPUs), whether or not they come with monitors, keyboards, etc. Please email us at info@readingtokids.org to help make a kid very happy!

iPad winner at Charles White Elementary
A Charles White Elementary 5th grader with perfect Reading to Kids attendance
leaps for joy after winning a new iPad
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Thanks, we hope you can join us at our next reading clubs on Saturday, January 11th, and we wish you a wonderful Christmas day!

Sincerely,

Charlie Orchard, Yancy Rodriguez Coe, & Anna Davies
Reading to Kids
1600 Sawtelle Blvd, Suite 210
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 479-7455
(310) 479-7435 (FAX)
info@readingtokids.org
www.readingtokids.org
www.facebok.com/readingtokids
www.x.com/readingtokids (formerly Twitter)
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www.instagram.com/readingtokids

Make a donation:
www.readingtokids.org/HowToHelp/HelpDonate.php

JANUARY 2025
Reading Club RSVPs
School RSVPs Capacity
Alta Loma 15 29
Esperanza 11 54
Gratts 7 26
MacArthur Park 7 35
Magnolia 15 38
Politi 9 35
Tenth St. 11 29
White 6 30
TOTAL 81 276
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JANUARY Books. . .
Kindergarten book
Kindergarten
First Grade book
First Grade
Second Grade book
Second Grae
Third Grade book
Third Grade
Fourth Grade book
Fourth Grad
Fifth Grade book
Fifth Grade

Reading to Kids is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Visit www.readingtokids.org for more information.

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