Article by Duane Herendeen,
Children's Services Supervisor
Warsaw Community Public Library

The 2014 children’s summer reading program is happening now! When I last checked our registrations, we had just hit the 700 mark and we are only a little over a week into the program. It looks like we’re on our way to pass our total of 750 from last year’s children’s summer reading program!

When I think about all the planning, projecting and implementing that it takes to make a Summer Reading Program successful, it really makes me grateful to all the people, businesses, and organizations that donate their time and monies. If every child who registers for the Summer Reading Program can earn up to six prizes, and we currently have 700 children working on their reading goals, that adds up to a lot of rewards. Absolutely none of this could be possible without an organization that has been a major donor but has received little public acknowledgment.

I want to publicly thank the Bertsch Family Charitable Foundation for their generous yearly gift to our children’s department. Without their contribution, the summer reading program would be vastly different. Without fail, we receive a yearly check in the mail from them and we strive to use those funds as wisely and efficiently as possible. It’s because of their generosity that we can have the programs, prizes, and other materials that make our children’s summer reading program what it is today.

When local organizations and businesses contribute to the children’s summer reading program, they are investing in not only their business, but the youth and families of their local communities. When a child reads and discovers that learning is fun, we all are rewarded in so many ways. Please remember to thank the businesses as you redeem that coupon for free ice cream, pizza, tokens, etc., because without their donation, our children’s summer reading program would be very different.

If you have not registered your child in our children’s summer reading program, there is still time. If you have a newborn to fifth grader, then you can register them online at www.warsawlibrary.org or at the children’s reference desk at the Warsaw Community Public Library. Let’s keep them reading this summer!