Plant a Seed … Read! Sets anniversary celebration June 1

Plant a Seed…READ! will be celebrating its 10th year as a nonprofit and 14 years as an affiliate with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Saturday, June 1st from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the former Famous Footwear store location in the Holiday Village Mall.

“Come and enjoy a free lunch, games and activities as the children Buzz in with Bees and Books,” Executive Program Director Lorraine Verploegen said in a release. “There will be a Chinese Auction and Raffles items donated by community members and individuals. Proceeds will enroll children in Hill County in the Imagination Library.”

Scheduled activities include face painting, balloons, arts and crafts, a photo booth, games, a corn hole toss and story time.

At this time, the release said, community members have the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life by sponsoring a child for $35 a year. This provides the child an age-appropriate book sent to their home each month for a year.

“So, every month, you provide a child a book to be read to them, bond with a caring adult, learn how books work, learn more about the world around them, increase their listening and speaking vocabulary to name just a few of the benefits of reading aloud to children,” Verploegen said. “We are trying to reach 65% of the 1,387 children in Hill County under the age of 5.”

People who can’t make the event can visit the Plant a Seed…Read office at the Holiday Village Mall, next Thursday, May 30, Friday, May 31, to purchase tickets for the Chinese Auction and raffle items or sponsor a child.

“Please check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/hillcountyplantaseedread for more information and pictures of auction and raffle items, the release said. “You may also donate to Plant a Seed…READ by going to our website at https://plantaseedreadmt.org to donate online.”