Sedona AZ (November 15, 2012) – Since the Rotary Club of Sedona announced the Imagination Library Project in February, 275 Sedona children registered for a free book every month from the Imagination Library collection. The only requirements to participate are that the child reside in Sedona or the Village of Oak Creek and be under five years of age.
Rotarian David Simmer notes “…of those children registered, 23 have reached their fifth birthday and another twelve moved from Sedona but that leaves almost 300 children who are eligible for free books but have not yet registered”.
Dolly Parton created the Imagination Library in 1996. Since that time the program has distributed over 40 million books to pre-school children. Books that are distributed are selected by a panel of noted educators and early childhood development specialists to help promote a passion for reading and learning. Follow-up studies have shown that the program has a meaningful impact on the preparedness of children entering kindergarten.
As part of its New Generations focus on youth, the Rotary Club of Sedona became the first not-for-profit organization in Arizona to fully implement the Imagination Library Program. The program costs are provided from the club’s fund raising activities including the recent El Dia de los Muertos celebration which garnered $500 for the project. The Sedona Community Foundation grant of $2000 and a generous personal donation of $1000 also provided ongoing support to this important literacy program.
Parents are encouraged to discover the Imagination Library and obtain registration information for their children at www.sedonarotary.org .
The Rotary Club of Sedona meets every Tuesday noon at the Barking Frog Grille. The club’s mission is to enhance community through service, teamwork and friendship.