Even with no advertising budget, hundreds of children and parents show up each year to the Granite State Reading Council Literacy Day.
Without some more help, however, organizer Donna Ciocca said she can’t keep doing the event single-handedly.
“It’s going to take a miracle and a half for us to do it again,” she said Saturday at the 10th annual event held at Merrimack Valley High School. “I’m hoping someone picks up and helps.”
Last weekend, Ciocca had two dozen or so volunteers from Southern New Hampshire University, Concord High School National Honor Society and several retired teachers. Before, though, Ciocca – who is a retired teacher herself – said she was responsible for all the prep, including asking Merrimack Valley High School to donate the space and janitorial help, finding sponsors and deals in order to purchase 10,000 books to give away, setting up Literacy Day presenters like the Audubon Center, the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Savings Bank, Forevergreen Farm and the Monitor, and searching for free advertising wherever she could.
“Our big goal is what can we do to get people to come to something about literacy?” Ciocca said. “Not all our children in Concord have books at home.”
It turns out an event with free giveaways, including books, draws big crowds. Every attending child receives 10 tickets – for free – to give in exchange for books.
“If we can get them as this age to think, ‘Oh good, I’ve got a book,’ ” Ciocca said, “that’s great.”
In addition to reading, families who visited Literacy Day also got the chance to do some writing. The Monitor hosted a station where kids received a journal in return for one ticket. Several took the opportunity to report for this article what exactly happened at Literacy Day, and excerpts are below:
Keith Shrykil, 10, of Concord: “In room 208 there is the SPCA who brought a dog and animal books. In room 217 there is the Franklin Savings Bank with a cool bee which I high-fived . . . Overall I would come again and again.”
Kalyssa Ward-Hill, 14, of Hopkinton: “My family and I saw birds, snakes, frogs, dogs and much more.”
Makayla Auger, 5, of Pembroke: “I saw a snake and like how his tongue stuck out. I got books about space and met a astronaut.”
Destiny Benjamin, 5, of Pembroke: “I saw snakes they were scary.”
Jasmine Blake, 7, of Pembroke: “. . . Elmo gave me a high-five.”
Luke Laflamme, 10, of Bow: “. . . we’ve been here for only an hour, and yet we have seen so much! First, we saw Reptiles on the Move’s exhibit (about reptiles) . . . Next, we went to Kevin Skarupa’s room and got our picture taken with him. We also got the book The Whipping Boy. . . . Finally we came to the Concord Monitor where we got an awesome journal.”
Molly Laflamme, 8, of Bow: “. . . I also went to see the SPCA. I got to pet my DREAM dog, the HUSKY! I got to go to the Audubon and saw a Screech Owl.”
Michaela St. George, 9, of Pittsfield: “Today I got to get books and I love to read! I saw a snake, it looks rough and bumpy. It’s actually soft and smooth. It’s so soft it feels wet but it’s not . . . I had a awesome day today!”
Ellie A., 6, of Boscawen: “I saw dogs and snakes. I had my face painted. I got lots of good books!”
Lucy Burr, 5, of Holderness: “This is amazing.”
Keygan Cooper, 6, of Concord: “I have seen people face paint.”
Riley Flynn, 11, of Northfield: “. . .We ran into my fourth-grade teacher. I hope I find some more chapter books. The building is really big in different classrooms there are many different things to do. My favorite so far is the Concord Monitor because I get to sit down and (write) about it . . .”
Josie Flynn, 10, of Northfield: “Today I have seen lots of things. My favorite part is the books. They had books of NH, animals, science and many more . . . people are laughing and having a good time. All the classrooms are full to the brim with people, facts and animals. . . . And also, if you go here you can see ponies and meet police and fireman.”
Audrey Barger, 8, of Webster: “When I got out of the car I was so excited. I love (literacy) day . . . the sled dogs were so fluffy. I got tons of books.”
Ayanna Valeras, 7, of Concord: “I have saw a ssssnake! It had sssscales. It was sssso cool!”
Anyone who would like to help with future Literacy Day events can contact Donna Ciocca at madciocca@aol.com.
(Elodie Reed can be reached at 369-3306, ereed@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @elodie_reed.)