Celebrating 10 years of Read for the Record in Southwest Minnesota

Area children are in for a big surprise this year! The SMSU Mustang Men’s Basketball team will be joining us to celebrate and highlight the importance of quality early education and literacy.  The players and coaches will be reading past Read for the Record books weekly on our Facebook page.  The recordings will also be available on our You Tube channel to view at any time along with some additional favorite titles selected by the players.  Coach Brad Bigler will read live on Thursday, October 29.  Be sure to watch our social media for the specific details of this reading and help us set a record!

Jumpstart Read for the Record is an annual reading celebration that highlights the need for quality early education in America by mobilizing adults and children to set a record for the largest shared reading experience.  United Way of Southwest Minnesota has coordinated this event throughout southwest Minnesota in schools, childcare centers, and libraries over the last 10 years.

Read for the Record will look different this year as volunteers aren’t able to visit locations to read.  The program will still take place at locations that choose to participate.  The book and activities will be provided to each location.  This year’s book, Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away, by Meg Medina, is a celebration of lasting friendship, the power of connection and encountering change. Without the help of 1,094 volunteers, this long-standing reading celebration would not be possible.  26,175 children have been read to in southwest Minnesota on Read for the Record day over the last decade.

Participating locations/schools will also have the chance to win various prize packages from United Way of Southwest Minnesota and the SMSU Men’s Basketball team.  To learn more about Read for the Record and to find direct links to the recordings, visit this link UnitedWaySWMN.org/RFTR.