In 2015 the Orange Lodge #1475 received the $10,000 Elks National Foundation (ENF) Impact Grant and held its first Reading Promise.
You might be asking, what it is. The Reading Promise promises to put a brand new book into the hands of an at-risk/low-income child in our community and the children promise read it. This bi-annual book project aims at kindergarten through 12th graders at the twelve Title 1 Elementary Schools in the Orange Unified School District. At the core The Reading Promise believes that by placing a brand new book into the hands of a child who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to own one is like planting a seed…a seed that will blossom into a lifelong love of reading. A book is portable magic and gives access to other worlds, people and adventure. It has the ability to transport our spirit and transform our minds. The Reading Promise wants only to ensure that the children in our community have the opportunity to come along for the ride.
Trace Weatherford, Committee Chairman, with the help of her committee organized the event.
This year each child attending the event received a backpack with a book, school supplies and other goodies!
We are very thankful to the Orange Library that opened the library on a Sunday exclusively for this event. With the full run of the library we are able to host the event and present many fun things for the kids that included Elk volunteers reading stories, children-oriented performers/entertainers, free library card sign-ups, areas for kids to read books to therapy dogs, character-actor readers, and much more.
The Reading Promise has a wide array of community partners who helped make this event a success! Some of our partners were New York Life (free children’s ID cards), OC Grip (award-winning gang reduction group),
Kiwanis Club of Orange (who cooked and served hot dogs),
PicMe Entertainment, Anna, Elana and Elroy
Tackett’s Patriotic Service Dog Foundation Service Dogs,
the Wild Wonders Interactive Wildlife Show that brought wild animals from Africa,
Boy Scout Troop #1475 and Arts and Crafts from Chapman University. Orange Elks member Mark Murphy and Mayor Pro-Tem in the City of Orange reading to the children.
Shaun Smith reading to the children
EDIT|Bill Neessen|1507412152
The Reading Promise is a spectacular example of how the Orange Elks Lodge give
their time, treasure, talent and teamwork to hold an event. From the forty seven Elks who helped that Sunday, the Elk members who helped raise additional funds to provide new books, school supplies and back packs to the sheer talent and enthusiasm of the Elk committee members who brought a singular idea to a successful and brilliant conclusion!
