On March 2nd, 2009 (Read Across America Day), Rocky Ford, Colorado was named the nation's third Bookend City and the first in Colorado. The Bookend City designation is made by the Reach Out and Read National Center. The designation is confired on towns where all of the health care facilities that see pediatric patients and provide well-child checkups participate in Reach Out and Read. Although a small town, Rocky Ford has four participating ROR clinics: Harmony Health Center, Otero County Health Department, Rocky Ford Family Health Center, and Valley-Wide Health Systems Rocky Ford Family Health Center.

To celebrate the milestone event, Rocky Ford Mayor Mac Holder read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff to the 120 children gathered at the Rocky Ford Family Health Center. Rocky Ford Family Health Center, owned by Dr. Doug and Terry Miller, has participated in ROR since March of 2006.

Thanks to a generous donation by the staff of The Colorado Health Foundation, all 120 children went home with a beautiful book that was theirs to keep. Thanks to Rocky Ford Family Health Center for also providing each child with their own copy of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Thank you also to Terry Miller, ROR Site Coordinator for Rocky Ford Family Health Center, and her staff for organizing this wonderful day. For more on the town of Rocky Ford, visit http://www.rockyfordcolo.com/