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Rotarians have fun serving the community. Join us!
Reading Rotary just completed its Rotary Readers Literacy Project. Rotary Readers is an annual literacy project where reading books and a backpack are given to kindergarten students. This year the Rotary Club brought the project to all kindergarten classes in Reading and North Reading. This year over 400 literacy bags and over 800 reading books were distributed to eight elementary schools in Reading and North Reading. In addition, Rotarians read to each Kindergarten class as part of Read Across America.
This literacy project has been adapted from Rotary’s previous dictionary and thesaurus giveaways. Teachers expressed their preference to have the younger students receive reading books. Basic Education and Literacy is one of Rotary International's Seven Areas of Focus.
Rotary would like to offer a special thank you to Liz Whitelam and Whitelam Books for supplying these books at a generous discount.
Austin Prep’s Interact Club (Rotary sponsored service club for high schoolers) was integral in helping with this project, including stuffing the backpacks and reading to many classrooms. Rotary sponsors Interact Clubs at Austin Prep, Reading High School and North Reading High School.
Here are some photos from our visits so far in our literacy project.
Please sign up to read in our Reading Rotary Readers literacy project. We read to kindergarten classes and bring a literacy bag with two reading books for each student.
High school seniors are invited to apply for Reading Rotary's Service Above Self Scholarship. Download 
This month’s dinner meeting on February 24 at Austin Prep was wonderful. Our featured speaker was our Global Grant Scholar Annalena Bacher. Annalena told us about her studies at Tuft’s Fletcher School of diplomacy. Annalena hails from Switzerland 
and entertained us with her impression of the US as a visitor. Annalena has visited us several times and has worked the Snack Shack. And of course, she brought Swiss chocolate! 
Caleb told us all about his project at the Sawtelle Hospice. The club donated $250 to Caleb's Eagle Project.
Reading North Reading Chamber is holding its Golf Tournament May 19 from 8 am to 3 pm at Hillview Country Club to benefit the food pantries in Reading and North Reading. For more information 
We have exciting news with regard to our Club Succession Planning. The following members have enthusiastically agreed to take on leadership roles in the upcoming Rotary years.
Annalena Bacher will be our meeting speaker on February 24. Annalena is the Global Grant Scholar that Reading Rotary is hosting. Annalena hails from Rotary District 1980 in Switzerland and is studying at the Fletcher School of Tufts University. Annalena will attend our meeting and talk about the Global Grant Scholar program.