Dewey’s #Readathon October 2012

It’s that time again where I lock myself away and read for 24 hours. I’ve moved my “usual” Saturday appointments to Monday, my day of recovery. I know you are wondering what would possess me to change my normal rituals. Keep reading to see how you can make a difference!

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon has been going on since 2007. That’s pretty amazing. For me, it is an opportunity to catch up with my online reading friends and to make new friends. Besides, I love to read. I am only 2 books away from meeting my stated reading goal of 300 books (82,822 pages) this year. But I’ve always had a secret goal of reading 365 books in a year. I’ve found myself on some long flights this year which I believe has enabled my reading ability to reach my goal this year.

Plus, I’ve turned my 24 hours of reading into a fundraiser. I started this practice after one of my online book friends, DancingDog, posted about doing it. I first started doing this in 2010 and have since contributed $1055. Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-A-Thon is an opportunity to have fun while raising money to provide resources to organizations that promote literacy. Reading and education are key to breaking the cycle of poverty. 174 people participated in the October 2010 Read-A-Thon. If each person collected pledges totally $100, the result would have been $17,400 that could make a significant difference in the ability for a non-profit to make an impact on literacy. As of today, 381 people are signed up to participate in the October 2012 Readathon…think of the difference we could make.

For each book that I read, I will donate $25 per book read to both Project Read and to Room to Read.  If you want to help by making a pledge based on how much I read, please let me know! I will let you specify which organization (or both) gets your donation.  If you are participating in Dewey’s Readathon and you register, I will donate $0.10 for every book you read.

Room to Read

Room to Read believes that "world change starts with educated children". We focus on countries whose lack of resources results in insufficient educational infrastructure. Rather than apply a short-term solution, Room to Read seeks to intervene early in a child's life and provide ongoing educational opportunities in their communities. We have developed a successful three-pronged approach to tackling the problem of education by:

• Partnering with communities to build schools;
• Enhancing educational facilities within schools, including establishing libraries, computers labs and language training centers; and
• Providing scholarships for underprivileged young girls

Project Read

Project READ is a coalition of public and private organizations working together to build skilled workers, strong families, and healthy communities. Through Project READ, over 35 literacy and basic skills providers, 80 schools and tutoring sites in Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties, and over 100 businesses and community partners are committed to building literacy in the Miami Valley.  Project READ relies solely on grants and individual gifts for financial support.

It is NOT too late to join the fun! Sign up! And let me know where you will be blogging, I’ll stop by and visit!

Dewey’s Readathon
October 13, 2010
8am (EDT)

Here are some helpful hints for participating in the 24 Hour Readathon:

Classicvasilly’s Tips to having a great read-a-thon

Sunday Salon: Reflections of a Readathon