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Second annual Raise a Reader Day coming up

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Literacy skills impact every aspect of our individual and collective lives.

Our own abilities to read, write, use a computer, research and do arithmetic impacts our home and work lives. Our collective abilities to work together to design, develop and implement our ideas, communicate, understand, and collaborate builds and strengthens our social and economic capacities.

The result is a resilient, healthy, engaged, and inclusive community that has reduced crime rates and better employment opportunities.

Comox Valley organizations, businesses, community leaders, and citizens are working together toward this vision of a community in which all citizens are able to access literacy and essential skills resources, programs, and opportunities to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

This September, the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Association (CVLLA), the Adult Learning Centre and their many partners in literacy will highlight literacy and learning through the second annual Raise-a-Reader campaign. The campaign culminates on Raise-a-Reader Day – Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014. Volunteers wearing bright orange shirts will be out between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. throughout the Comox Valley handing out a special literacy edition in exchange for a donation.

The Raise-a-Reader campaign raises awareness of literacy as well as raises money for literacy programs, resources, and services in the Comox Valley. Every penny raised locally goes to local literacy programs.

Last year, through local sponsorship, donations, fundraisers, and the Raise-a-Reader Day exchange of the special edition newspapers for donations, the Comox Valley raised over $20,000. The Ministry of Education leveraged these funds by approximately $10,000 for a total of $30,000. One hundred percent of these funds is directed to local literacy programs and activities in our community.

To donate online go to www.raiseareader.com/donate, and click on ‘Comox Valley’ under Fund/Designation. To donate by phone, call 1-866-637-READ (7323). For more information contact the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Association by email at dhoogland@shaw.ca or by phone at 250-897-2623.

For more information go to the www.canada.com/literacy/raiseareader/ or www.cvlifelonglearning.ca.