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Most books donated-world record set by Rotary
International
LOS
ANGELES, USA--Rotarians at the 2008
RI Convention demonstrated their commitment to literacy
by setting a Guinness world record for the most books donated
during a seven-day period: 242,624 books were collected this
week for public school students in Southern California and
Southern Nevada.
Photo:Angelo
dos Santos learned to read at the S™nia Braga da Cruz Ribeiro
Silva school in Contagem, Brazil and is now a poet. The CLE
literacy method was introduced to Brazil schools with the
help of a Rotary Foundation 3H matching grant. Photo: Rotary
Images/Alyce Henson (enlarge
photo)
Ingo Werk, of the Rotary Club of Wilmington, California,
who chaired the project, joined Girton on stage to thank and
congratulate Rotarians for achieving such a meaningful record.
“Rotary’s commitment to literacy is a commitment with love,
not only for our society at large but especially for our children.
Love is all you need -- to read.”
The book drive, cosponsored by the Los Angeles
Times Reading by 9 program, will benefit public school students
in kindergarten through grade 3 in the region, where studies
show too many children read below grade level.
To celebrate the book drive, a mountain of books
monument was constructed on the lobby of the L.A. Convention’s
South Hall to focus on one of Rotary’s signature projects.
Total eradication of polio is the club’s other primary concern.
Project organizers set a goal of collecting a
quarter of a million books. Convention registrants from more
than 140 countries brought books representing their home cultures
and languages. “Everyone here embraced this book drive, and
I could not be more proud of our Rotary clubs and more grateful
for the support we received from the public,” said Werk.
Rotary is a volunteer organization with more than
32,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas.
It initiates humanitarian projects that address today’s challenges
affecting the world today, such as hunger, poverty, and illiteracy.
On Monday, 16 June, children visiting from a local
elementary school were
read to by RI President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson, Grammy-nominee
Freddie Ravel, actress Yeni Alvarez (Carmella from Disney's
Handy Manny), and actors from Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron
Boy Genius Mark DeCarlo (Hugh Neutron), Debi Derryberry (Jimmy
Neutron), and Carolyn Lawrence (Cindy Vortex). -click
here for video
Related:
Biggest
individual supporter of schools-world record set by Husnu
M. Ozyegin
June 25, 2008
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