As more than 300 Appalachian Power employees prepared to visit schools later this week for the company’s annual Read to Me Day celebration, one thing was different this year. Usually, the readers sport a new shirt with the Appalachian Power logo, given by the company in recognition of their volunteer effort. But this year, those readers decided to instead put that money toward donations to libraries in flood-damaged areas of the state.
The Elk Valley and Clendenin branches of Kanawha County Library, the Clay County Library, the Walton Library in Roane County, and the Rainelle Library in Greenbrier County all will receive donations in the name of Appalachian Power readers. In all, the libraries received $8,000, which is designated to the children’s areas in each library.
As part of Read to Me Day on Thursday, Nov. 17, 314 Appalachian Power employees read to students at 418 schools across the company’s West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee service territory. The volunteer readers read to at least two classrooms at each school, reaching almost 17,000 elementary students, and will then donate the book to the school library.This year’s book is, “The Gingerbread Man: Loose in the School,” by Laura Murray, a Virginia author. First started in 2001 and now in its 16th year, the company estimates it has read to more than 250,000 students and donated approximately 6,000 books as part of Read to Me Day.
“Being read aloud to can be such a magical experience for kids. It’s so rewarding for our readers to witness that,” said Charles Patton, Appalachian Power president and a volunteer reader at a Charleston elementary school. “Our reason for devoting so much effort to Read to Me Day is to reach as many children as possible with the magic of a good story. Children who enjoy books will read more. Ultimately, they’ll be better readers and do better in school.”
