"Pennies for Pages" Benefits Cleveland Reads and Needy Children

On May 16th, a beautiful spring afternoon, Cleveland Reads headed to West Park Community School to meet some very special third graders.  Upon entering the library where all 39 students were assembled with their teachers, one could feel the excitement and pride in the room.

For the second consecutive spring vacation, West Park Community School students participated in a "Pennies for Pages" project.  They eagerly agreed to read as many books as they could over their break, and secured pledges from family and friends for each page they read.  At the end of the project when they  collected the pledge money, everyone was astounded by the whopping $541.23 they had raised. 

Before teacher, Shelly Joy, could speak, the children began talking at once about they books they had read.  Favorites included Amelia Bedelia, Danger After Dark, Franny K. Stein, and Harry Potter - books that grabbed their attention and made it easy to achieve their goals.  Besides the fun of the reading itself, the children were anxious to raise money that Cleveland Reads will use to put books into the hands of children who are less fortunate.

The children presented Cleveland Reads with a hand-made, oversized check that everyone had signed, along with copies of redesigned book covers of their favorite books.  On the reverse side of the pages they described their favorite part of the "Pennies for Pages" project.  Isabella wrote, "What I enjoyed most about the Penny Pages project was reading and making a difference in my community."  Omar enjoyed "...earning money for the people who don't know how to read."

The achievement of these young children is a model for the community.  With a worthy cause and some creativity, even children who are doing something they enjoy can make a significant impact.  Thanks to their efforts hundreds of children will receive new books, which will help make Cleveland a more literate community.