Deer Park Rotarian and Riverside School Board Member Bob Carroll was ready for Literacy Night at the Riverside High School Gymnasium on March 3rd.  This has become an annual event for the Deer Park Rotary Club, and started back a number of years ago with Rotarian Meg Parker and Stacey Schneider, Riverside Parent Coordinator.  Parker, following Rotary International’s belief that “When you teach somebody how to read, they have that for a lifetime. It ripples through the community, one by one”, visited Chattaroy Elementary on a regular basis to read to the children.

Since the inception of Literacy Night, Deer Park Rotarians coordinate with teachers who order age appropriate books for their classrooms;  the books are then purchased with funds raised at the clubs’ golf, wave petunia hanging basket, and Christmas holiday sign fundraising events.  On Literacy Night, tables are set up with all the books displayed, and children are able to select books to take home to read and keep as their own.  This has become such a special and fun night for our Rotarians as they see the excitement and discernment the children display as they select “just the right book”.

This year the club’s funds were enhanced by a Rotary District 5080 grant.