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As part of United Way’s initiative to encourage Clinton and the surrounding communities to get excited about reading, the Clinton Reads committee has prepared a week full of great events in honor of Drop Everything & Read Day, also known as D.E.A.R..
D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. The official event date, April 12th, is the birthday of author Beverly Cleary. Local events are planned for the week of April 4th – 9th by the Clinton Reads Committee.
On Monday, April 4th, Clinton Community School elementary students will be treated to guest “Celebrity Readers” including Miss Iowa Taylor Wiebers, Fire Chief Mike Brown, Chief of Policy Kevin Gyrion, Sheriff Lincoln, and many other community volunteers. Select classrooms at Bluff, Eagle Heights, Jefferson, and Whittier elementary schools will be participating.
David Johnson, former Clinton resident and current Arizona Cardinals’ Running Back has prepared a D.E.A.R. Week video to encourage local students to read. The video may be shared in classrooms and by groups. The community is encouraged to like and share the video on Facebook at facebook.com/Clinton Reads.
On Tuesday, April 5th, the Clinton Public Library will host Toddler Time at 9:30 am, and PAWS for Reading at 4:00 pm. The community may also enjoy Storytime at Dudad’s Hallmark at 10:00 am. Stories shared will include Caps for Sale, The Lonely Book, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
On Wednesday, April 6th, the Clinton Public Library will hold Story Time at 9:00 am and Afternoon Adventures at 2:30 pm. The Friends’ Underground Bookstore will hold their One-Year Anniversary Reception from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. The Children’s Discovery Center will present a program called, “Reading Meets STEM: Air Pressure and Rubber Egg” at 2:00 pm at the Discovery Center.
The YWCA Afterschool Program will hold a “Read-In Day” with their K-5 kids attending the Wednesdays at the YW Program. The YWCA Youth Program challenges community members to hold their own “Read-In Days” and to make reading fun.
On Thursday, April 7th, the Clinton Sawmill Museum will host Reading and Crafts at 3:00 pm. Little House on the Prairie, Paul Bunyan vs. Hals Halson, and Happy Little Handsaw will be featured.
On Friday, April 8th, the Children’s Discovery Center will host Funtime Friday at 10:00 am.
To wrap up the week, on Saturday, April 9th, the Ericksen Center will host a Drop Everything & Play event from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Bring your K-5 kid for fun, sports related activities. Kids will have the opportunity to take a break from reading and enjoy fun-filled challenges and events like soccer, basketball, volleyball, and more. In addition, DuDad’s Hallmark will host an author signing with local author Michael Abbott signing his first book Colorado Wind from 2:00-4:00 pm.
For more information on any of these events, please contact the host location, or United Way of Clinton County office at (563) 242-1209.
Founded by the United Way of Clinton County Iowa, Clinton Reads promotes literacy through collaboration among various United Way funded community organizations in Clinton and the surrounding area. The Clinton Reads Facebook page can be found at Facebook.com/ClintonReads. For more information on Clinton Reads, please contact the United Way of Clinton County Iowa at (563) 242-1209.
