July 2010
Reach Out and Read Included in The Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics' Annual Report
Featured in The Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics' 2009 Annual Report is the story of Thelma, a single mom of four who, along with all the other services she's grateful for at the clinic, loves the Reach Out and Read program. She says her kids devour the books they receive and they always read together before bed. Thank you, Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics for sharing the true impact the Reach Out and Read program is having in the lives of its recipients.

Click on the image for the full report.

June 2010
The Tattered Cover and Colorado State Bank and Trust June Book Drive
The Tattered Cover Book Stores and Colorado State Bank and Trust collected over 1,500 new and gently used books in their 3rd Annual June Children's Book Drive benefiting Reach Out and Read Colorado. The books, which will all go to Colorado children through the Reach Out and Read childhood literacy program, were donated by the Tattered Cover's generous customers and augmented by a matching donation from the Tattered Cover (1 book for every 10 donated at the Tattered Cover collection sites).

April 27th, 2010
Reach Out and Read Program at JeffCo Public Health Honored at Good News Breakfast
The Reach Out and Read Colorado program at JeffCo Public Health was honored at a breakfast hosted by The Good News Coalition of Jefferson County whose mission is to bring citizens together to celebrate the positive happenings and spiritual values that link our diverse communities. The Good News Breakfast celebrated some of the positive values and happenings throughout Jefferson County and honored individuals who strive to ensure literacy for life, both for themselves and others within the community. An article posted on YourHub.com featured the good work the JeffCO Public Health Nurses (shown above with their new plaque) are doing at the clinic.

April 15th, 2010
Reach Out and Read Translates National Website into Spanish
ROR's National Center unveiled the Spanish version of their website on April 15. Reach Out and Read serves more than one million Latino children and families nationwide, and 86% of Reach Out and Read Programs serve families for whom Spanish is their first language. While Reach Out and Read has 14 published research studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the program, its impact on Spanish-speaking families has been found to be even more significant.  In fact, one study found that Spanish-speaking parents served by Reach Out and Read were up to 10 times more likely to read to their children every day than those not served by the program.  Those children are more likely to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed.

January 2010
Six New Clinics in January
In January 2010 Reach Out and Read Colorado welcomed six new clinics! This means we’ll be placing new books in the hands of 2,900 more children through new program participants: Peak Vista Community Health Centers in Colorado Springs; Peak Vista Community Health Centers in Fountain; Peak Vista Community Health Centers--Divide Health Center; Peak Vista Community Health Centers--Entrada Health Center in Colorado Springs; Washington County Clinic in Akron; and Glenwood Medical Associates in Glenwood Springs. They join the ranks of the existing 132 clinics statewide which serve over 82,000 children and their families.

December 2009
Reach Out and Read featured in Advances in Pediatrics
In an article entitled Reach Out and Read: Literacy Promotion in Pediatric Primary Care, Advances in Pediatrics presents an overview of Reach Out and Read's impact over the past 20 years.  This article examines ROR's history and impact on the families participating in the program, and offers ROR as a tool to help promote school-readiness. Read the full article.

The Annual Tattered Cover Holiday Children’s Book Drive was a Success Once Again!
This past holiday season, the Tattered Cover once again collected new and gently used children's books to be distributed to ROR CO sites across the state. Beginning December 1st, collection boxes were displayed in all three Tattered Cover locations in the Denver Metro Area for the entire month of December. The goal of the drive was to collect books for children 6 months to 5 years. In addition to hosting the Book Drive, the Tattered Cover donated one additional new book for every 10 books donated to the drive.  The Book Drive collected a total of 2,252 books which were distributed to clinics in Fort Morgan, Cortez and everywhere in between! These books will support the ROR program at each of these clinics by providing reading materials for literacy-rich waiting rooms, books for siblings of ROR patients and children at sick visits.

October 6th, 2009
6th Annual Benefit Breakfast a Successful Event
On Tuesday, October 6th a crowd of 300 gathered at the beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens to celebrate another great year of Reach Out and Read and hear a hilarious parody of a Dr. Seuss classic read by Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (in his 6th appearance!). The 6th Annual Benefit Breakfast raised over $90,000 thanks in part to our generous donors as well as Lead Event Sponsors Lori & Grady Durham and Qwest and Supporting Sponsors Lyndia and Cannon Harvey, Ann and Hal Logan, The Children's Hospital, 1st Bank, GreenbergTraurig, Ehrhardt, Keefe, Steiner & Hottman, PC, T&R Fund, The Denver Health Foundation, Centric Elevator and Rothgerber, Johnson & Lyons, LLP. A big thank you also to our generous In-Kind Sponsors: Merrill Corporation, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Trevor Brown Photography, Peet's Coffee and Tea (Cherry Creek), and The Duffeyroll Cafe.

August/September 2009          
State Representatives Visit Reach Out and Read Colorado Clinics
On August 19, 2009, Representative Betsy Markey visited the Monfort Family Clinic in Evans, CO, a part of Sunrise Community Health, Inc., not only to show her support for Reach Out and Read Colorado, but to put doctors’ advice of reading aloud to your children into practice by reading to a group of young patients. On September 1, Representative Jared Polis also showed his support of ROR CO by reading to children at the Grand County Public Health Clinic in Hot Sulphur Springs, CO. Nationally, ROR is supported by $6 million in federal funding.

June 13th, 2009
Reach Out and Read Colorado Hosts First Read and Romp
On June 13th, Reach Out and Read Colorado hosted its first Read and Romp event at the L2 Event Center on East Colfax. Over 30 children attended and visited stations based on favorite children's books and characters. They got their picture taken with Clifford the Big Red Dog, played musical instruments in the music room, listened to stories and made masks fit for wild things along with many more crafts and activities. A huge "Thank You" goes out to our sponsors: Metropath, Music Together, Red Robin, Robinson Dairy, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Wheeler Trigg Kennedy Foundation and Whole Foods Market.

November 19th, 2008
ROR Colorado Wins Prestigious El Pomar Award For Excellence in Education Category
Reach Out and Read Colorado was named the winner of the Education category at the El Pomar Awards of Excellence ceremony November 19th in Colorado Springs, receiving a $15,000 prize. During the ceremony at Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts, awards were presented in 11 different categories and winners was revealed at the ceremony. The other finalists in the Education category were Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado, Inc. and KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy (winner of the Spencer and Julie Penrose Award as the outstanding nonprofit of the year). Participating ROR Clinic, Clinica Tepeyac was also a winner that night when it was named winner in the Self-Supporting Category. Those on hand to celebrate are pictured on the left. They were: (Back Row l-r) Jayson Goldinger, Board Member Heather Duncan, Board Member Peter Konrad, Medical Director Dr. Steve Vogler, Program Coordinator Melissa Elgersma, Hal Logan. (Front Row l-r) Executive Director Megan Wilson, Trainer Magdalena Aguayo, Board Chair Ann Logan, and Breakfast Committee co-Chair Honey Goldberg.