The 18th Annual Cooper Reading Challenge, which was created to help instill the love of reading in children of the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, is under way. In the past 17 years, local individuals and businesses donated more than $100,000, providing the opportunity to more than 4,000 children to select, purchase and enjoy their own books through this program.
Each year, nearly 200 Boys & Girls Club children earned the privilege of selecting one or more books at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Calabasas, all funded through community donations.
Between now and November 27, Club children will read age-appropriate books and write a review to qualify for a trip to Barnes & Noble. At the bookstore, each child will have $25 to spend on books for themselves or family members. Members of the San Fernando Valley business and civic community donate $25 for each child they want to sponsor. The children will visit the bookstore on December 4, 5, 9, 10 and 11.
“This program is about teaching children to love and value books and reading,” said Martin Cooper, President of Cooper Communications and Chairman Emeritus of the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley. “We are very grateful to those who have contributed to this program in the past and invite those who see the importance of literacy to support it this year. Reading is a lifelong gift; it illuminates the world, ignites the imagination and is a proven cornerstone of success,” says Cooper.
To make a tax-deductible donation, go to www.bgcwv.org/Cooper-Reading-Challenge. Click on Cooper Reading Challenge and scroll down to fill out the requisite donor information. Checks should be made out to the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley/CRC and sent to Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, 7245 Remmet Avenue, Canoga Park, CA 91303.
Sponsors of the Cooper Reading Challenge include presenting sponsor U.S. Bank, and corporate sponsors SoCal Gas and First Bank.
The Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley is located at 7245 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91303. The Club’s website is www.bgcwv.org. Facebook: www.facebook.com/bgcwv.
