Hooked on Books! Celebrates Dr. Seuss Birthday
The Hooked on Books! Program assisted by the Kiwanis Club of Erie, and the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority of Gannon University celebrated Dr. Seuss’ 100th birthday by reading his books to the children in the CHAMPS Program at Harding Elementary School on February 25, 2004.
Using the model the Hooked on Books! Program designed 13 years ago, the adult “reading pals” were paired with one child each. They first shared a Dr. Seuss book and then read other books. The books were then presented to the children to take home to add to their personal library. All these books had a personalized bookplate designed for the occasion and autographed for the children by their readers.
The celebration was concluded with a Dr. Seuss birthday party hosted by Kathleen Green and Mimi Fiorelli, site supervisors of the CHAMPS Program and Patty Zielewski, reading specialist at Harding Elementary School.
The adult readers included Dr. Dolores J. Sarafinski, Founder and Director of Hooked on Books!; Rebecca Martin, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the School District of the City of Erie; June Smith, Board Member of Hooked on Books; Lita Schaaf and Marianne Fisher, “reading pals” of the Hooked on Books! Program; Adam Trott, President of Kiwanis Club of Erie; Janice Locke, Kiwanis Club of Erie and members of the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority of Gannon University: Angela Canovali, Emily Specht, Mary Gelnett, Kristen Antinopoulos, Julie Coppolo, Katie Bemis, Christie Buchleitner, Lauren Bolender, and Danielle Sterbank. The Dr. Seuss Celebration brought together three groups of community members eager to encourage a love of reading in young children.