Thank you for another great Read-A-Palooza!

It’s been a little over a week since Read-A-Palooza 2019: Join Team Read, and we just wanted to take another opportunity to publicly thank those who made it all possible! This year’s event was our most successful yet and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to bring community members together in support of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Read-A-Palooza is the only fundraising event we host each year and is vital to Read Aloud’s financial sustainability. With the support of our sponsors, donors, and supporters, we were able to meet our Read-A-Palooza fundraising goal this year and ensure that Read Aloud can continue to keep books in the hands and on the minds of West Virginia children!

This year’s event focused on creating excitement for books and reading the same way our society does for sports. In his remarks, our special guest WVU Football Coach Neal Brown beautifully connected the importance of a strong reading foundation to athletic success. With at least three media outlets in attendance and multiple stories written about the event, we’re positive that excitement was generated. We’ve made new friendships, strengthened old ones, inspired new volunteers, and heard multiple times since the event that this was our best Read-A-Palooza to date.

A special thank you to Coach Neal Brown, Coleman Barnes, and West Virginia University; to Tony Caridi, children’s book author and MetroNews sports reporter; to The University of Charleston, UC President Marty Roth, Robert Elmore of the UC Vice President’s office, and Ray Singleton of the UC Department of Education; to David Hager Photography; and to all of sponsors and silent auction donors listed below!