Local store hosts Holiday Book Drive
Murphy – Reading at a young age contributes significantly to a child’s language development, enhances imagination and creativity, improves concentration, builds a solid foundation
for their future education and fosters a positive relationship with books by exposing them to diverse stories and vocabulary early on.
Since reading is an essential skill, and all children should have easy access to books and stories. This is a cause that members of our community strive to support by creating opportunities to get more books into local schools, classrooms and children’s hands.
Since 2021, the Rotary Club of Murphy has been operating a program called Rotary Reads from October through April in pre-kindergarten through second-grade classrooms in every local elementary school. The club previously read in these classrooms once a year, but when Jacky Egli was elected club president, the former educator asked, “Why aren’t we doing this more?”
Each year, a committee made up of club members, educators parents and grandparents plan the books that will be read to classrooms each month. The books vary in subject matter and often feature award-winning authors. Cherokee Scout Publisher David Brown is coordinator of the committee this school year.
The goal is to choose books that will get children excited about reading, while also sharing valuable lessons such as honesty, integrity and the importance of helping others. Copies of these books are then donated to the classrooms so students can continue to enjoy them for years to come.
Rotary Reads isn’t the only thing the Rotary Club of Murphy is doing to encourage and support reading. In September, the club hosted its first Scholastic Book Fair to create an opportunity to get more books into the hands of children as well as to encourage families to choose books and read together regularly. The funds and points earned are used to support the Rotary Reads program.
The Rotary Club of Murphy also holds an annual Jail & Bail fundraiser, with the next one set for early 2025. Members of the community will be “jailed” and must raise bail money, which will go toward the Rotary Reads program.
The Rotary Club of Murphy meets at noon Mondays at Downtown Pizza. For details, email jackyregli@gmail.com or visit rotaryclubofmurphy.com.
In the community, Narrative Books & Records, owned by Brooke Adams, is hosting a Holiday Book Drive to help Murphy Elementary School stock its library during the holiday season.
Members of the community can purchase books from the wish list available on the Narrative Books & Records Facebook page, make monetary donations or shop in-store at 104 Tennessee St., Suite C.