Friends of SMART Will Gather for Festive Fundraiser May 5 at Old Stone Church
For 20 years, SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) has inspired a love of reading in Oregon’s children and provided valuable one-on-one reading support, adult mentorship and books to Oregon’s children who need it most. To celebrate this momentous achievement, SMART in Central Oregon is hosting its first annual SMARTY Party fundraiser.
SMARTY Party will take place on Saturday, May 5, at 5pm at the Old Stone Church located at 157 NW Franklin Ave. in Bend. Guests will enjoy books, beer and a bid for the cause to support SMART. Admission is $10 or a donation of a new hardcover children’s book which will be utilized in school based permanent book collections. We recommend Between the Covers for book purchases. Mention SMART and you will
receive a 10% discount.
“SMART’s roots run deep here in Central Oregon, as we began in eight schools in Bend and Portland 20 years ago,” said Diane Turnbull, Central Area Manager. “SMART will be asking our friends in Central Oregon and across the state to rise to the SMART challenge and support us through one or more of 20 ways. SMARTY Party is just one more way for local friends and donors to support SMART here in our community.”
Celebrated Oregon author, Jane Kirkpatrick, will deliver the keynote address at the event. Kirkpatrick is the author of 20 books, including 17 historical novels – her first of which, A Sweetness to the Soul, won the Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. SMART will also honor several longtime volunteers at the event.
Since its inception, SMART has served 144,000 children across Oregon and given away 1.9 million books. Nearly 100,000 volunteers have logged more than 3 million hours reading with children in nearly 250 sites. In SMART’s Central Area for the 2011-2012 school year, SMART has served 624 children with the help of 423 local volunteers.
SMART’s statewide campaign “20 Ways to Get SMART,” is designed to ignite and inspire current supporters to spread the word about the program in an effort to engage new volunteers and donors. Please visit www.celebrateSMART.org or call 877-598-4633 for more information about SMART stories, 20 Ways to Get SMART and other 20th anniversary activities.
About SMART® (Start Making A Reader Today)
SMART, Start Making A Reader Today, is a statewide nonprofit organization that envisions an Oregon where every child can read and is empowered to succeed. We partner with schools around the state and engage community volunteers to read one-on-one with PreK-3 children, help strengthen literacy skills and encourage a love of reading. Over the past two decades, SMART has steadily grown to become Oregon’s largest volunteer literacy program. Children in the program receive 14 new books throughout the school year to keep and read with their families. Together, with support from communities and schools around the state, SMART is improving the reading capacity of Oregon’s children. Visit www.GetSMARTOregon.org or call 1-877-598-4633 to learn more about SMART.
