Reach Out and Read Colorado is excited to host their inaugural gala, Where the Wild Things Read, on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The evening will include drinks, a seated dinner, live auction, and entertainment, featuring Mistress of Ceremony Denver7’s Lisa Hidalgo. The event will celebrate the transformative power of reading aloud together as a family while raising much-needed support for this evidence-based program designed to reach our state's most vulnerable populations.
Reach Out and Read Colorado, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Denver, has a 20-year history of improving early literacy across the state by partnering with pediatricians to provide developmentally- and language-appropriate books to children at well-child visits and encourage families to read aloud together. Currently, Reach Out and Read Colorado serves more than 125,000 children in 331 clinics.
“Reading has the power to unlock a child’s curiosity and imagination,” said Simon Hambidge, MD, PhD, Denver Health pediatrician and Reach Out and Read Colorado Board Chair. “When a parent reads to a young child, parts of the child’s brain are stimulated that are not stimulated by any other activity. Promoting early childhood reading with family is a powerful way to combat the adverse events of childhood, or toxic stress, which can impact the lives of too many children.”
Denver7 knows how crucial it is for kids to learn to read. That’s why we created 7Read to Lead, our community commitment to supporting literacy in Colorado. Our partnerships and initiatives with groups like Reach Out and Read Colorado, are focused on increasing access to books, encouraging reading and educating on the importance of reading for all ages.
Click here for more information or to purchase event tickets for Where the Wild Things Read.
About Reach Out and Read Colorado
Reach Out and Read Colorado is an evidence-based nonprofit that gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.
Reach Out and Read Colorado partners with health care providers to prescribe a developmentally- and language-appropriate book and talk with parents about the importance of reading aloud at well-child visits from 6 months to 5 years of age. By building on the unique relationship between parents and health care providers, Reach Out and Read Colorado helps families and communities encourage early literacy skills so children enter school prepared for success. Children served by Reach Out and Read enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and a three- to six-month developmental edge. To learn more, visit www.reachoutandreadco.org or connect with Reach Out and Read Colorado on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ReachOutandReadColorado.
