The mission of the LaGrange Mayor’s Reading Club is to provide quality books and resources that the whole family can enjoy together while strengthening the literacy skills of children ages two to ten.
“As mayor, some of my favorite moments are spending time with our young people. Our children are the future of our community and it’s important we invest in them now,” said LaGrange Mayor Jim Arrington. “I’m excited to launch the Mayor’s Reading Club so I can share the love of reading with all of the young people in our community.”
The LaGrange Mayor’s Reading Club is a program from GeorgiaForward, a nonprofit organization managed by the Georgia Municipal Association. This initiative empowers mayors to lead literacy efforts in their communities and encourages reading among young children through books and events.
“Children who can’t read proficiently by the end of third grade are more likely to experience poor health, have discipline problems, and drop out of high school,” said Get Troup Reading Executive Director Kim Myers. “Reading aloud to children is crucial for their development, fostering language skills, expanding vocabulary, boosting literacy, and strengthening the parent-child bond, ultimately leading to a lifelong love of reading. Through the LaGrange Mayor’s Reading Club, we hope to encourage engagement between parents and children as they share the stories together.”
“The Rotary Club of LaGrange is proud to support the Mayor’s Summer Reading Program as part of our commitment to literacy and education – cornerstones of a thriving community,” said Rotary Club of LaGrange President Connie Hensler. “The money raised through the success of our annual 5K makes funding this initiative possible.”
The LaGrange Mayor’s Reading Club will host the four free events:
- Thursday, May 15th, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on Lafayette Square in downtown LaGrange at the Community End of School Celebration
- Thursday, June 5th, 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. at the William J. Griggs Center, 716 Glenn Robertson Drive, LaGrange, GA.
- Thursday, July 10th, Noon-2:00 p.m. at AMC Classic LaGrange 10, 201 Main Street, LaGrange, GA. Free movie and snacks for the first 100 people. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Preregistration is required.
- Friday, August 1st, 6:00-10:30 p.m. on Lafayette Square, in downtown LaGrange at the Back to School Bash.
