Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County

LOOP for Literacy
2024-02-10 12:00 - 15:00 UTC | FL
Thank you for joining us for our 14th annual
LOOP FOR LITERACY
FEBRUARY 10, 2024
Certified Course | AccuChip Timing | Finisher Medals | Race Tech Shirt | Awards | Refreshments
LOOP Home Page
Click Here to view photos from the February 10, 2024 event
Click Here for the results of the 5K Run and Walk
Thanks to the generous support of fundraisers, and sponsors for nearly 600 runners, walkers, and cyclists, the 14th annual LOOP for Literacy raised over $80,000! The proceeds will fund literacy programs provided by the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. The Coalition focuses on helping children and adults succeed in school and life.
Held at Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach, the top finishers in the men’s 5K run were:

1st – Max Arthay with a time of 18:15.227
2nd – David Plotkin with a time of 19:27.320
3rd – Oren Griffith Jr. with a time of 20:32.960

The top 3 winners in the women’s 5K run were:

1st – Maura Short with a time of 19:44.173
2nd – Emily Abbott with a time of 23:59.930
3rd – Janine Virano with a time of 25:43.667

The first-place winners in the Over 50 5K run were:

Men’s – Allan Nosworthy with a time of 20:41.407
Women’s – Lotta Collard with a time of 26:11.447

Samuel Soto Jr. placed first in the Kids 1-Mile Fun Run, and Asher Palmer won the Kids 100-Yard Dash.
The Top Individual Fundraiser is Len Gray. The Top Team Fundraiser is Holland & Knight.
The first cyclists to cross the finish line was Tom Giuffrida
Literacy Coalition Board Members Andy Loewenstein of Palm Beach Gardens and Lauren Stuhmer of West Palm Beach co-chaired the benefit.
Special thanks to:

Presenting Sponsor: Florida Crystals
Gold Sponsors: Domino Sugar, Levenger Foundation, and Bill Bone Bike Law
Bronze Sponsors: Sugar Growers Cooperative of Florida, Nursing Services of Palm Beach and LC Tri Shop
Supporter Sponsors, Water & Aid Station Sponsors, Mile Marker Sponsors and Partners: Loewenstein Family, Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, PA, NCCI, The Palm Beach Post, Cozen O’Connor, SCAPS Medical, LLC, Gentle Medicine Associates, Inc., Palm Beach Plastic Surgery Institute, Orangetheory Fitness, Manatee Lagoon, Park Avenue BBQ Grille and Chick-fil-A at the W. Lantana Road location.

LOOP for Literacy benefits the Literacy Coalition’s programs that serve 55,967 adults, children, youths and families in Palm Beach County each year to ensure that children and adults get the help they need to be successful in school and life.
Click here to download the 5K route map
Click here to download the roadside ride route map

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

2024 Finisher Medal

Click below to view the video about LOOP for Literacy

Please email questions to: Communications@LiteracyPBC.org or call 561-767-3370.

Thanks to the generous support of fundraisers, sponsors and more than 500 runners, walkers, and cyclists, the 13th Annual LOOP for Literacy raised a record $88,000! The proceeds will fund literacy programs provided by the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. The Coalition focuses on helping children and adults succeed in school and life.
Held at Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach, the top finishers in the men’s 5K run were:

1st – Max Arthay with a time of 18:27
2nd – Angel Gutierrez with a time of 18:34
3rd – Cenex Fleurigene with a time of 21:32

The top 3 winners in the women’s 5K run were:

1st – Lisa Levin with a time of 21:44
2nd – Emily Abbott with a time of 23:33
3rd – Ulrike Vernachio with a time of 24:02

Xavier Lofaso placed first in the Kids 1-Mile Fun Run, and Stephanos Gunes won the Kids 100-Yard Dash.
The Top Individual Fundraiser is Len Gray. The Top Team Fundraiser is Holland & Knight.
Literacy Coalition Board Members Andy Loewenstein of Palm Beach Gardens and Helena Zacharis of Boca Raton co-chaired the benefit.
Special thanks to:

Presenting Sponsor Florida Crystals
Gold Sponsors Domino Sugar, Levenger Foundation, and Bill Bone Bike Law
Bronze Sponsors Sugar Growers Cooperative of Florida, Nursing Services of Palm Beach, Holland & Knight, and LC Tri Shop
LOOP Supporters Park Avenue BBQ Grille, the Loewenstein Family, Orange Theory Fitness, The Palm Beach Post, Manatee Lagoon, Gentle Medicine Associates, Inc., Simply Healthcare, NCCI, Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A, CPG Cares, and Barbara and Len Gray.

Click here to view photos from the February 11, 2023 event

Giving Tuesday
2023-11-28 | FL
GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past nine years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Even in times of economic uncertainty, we each have a deep reserve of generosity, which we can deploy in myriad ways to make a difference–your time, your kindness, your skills, and your voice are all things you can give in addition to charitable donations.
The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is participating in GivingTuesday, the global day of unity and giving on November 28, 2023. The day is designed to drive an influx of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropy activation, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.
Please consider a donation to help local adults, children and families as we continue to provide literacy support to those in need. In the “Gift Preference” field, select “GivingTuesday” in the dropdown to allocate your donation towards today’s event.

Kendra Scott Shop for Good
2023-11-25 12:00 - 15:00 | FL
SIPS, SWEETS & STYLE AT KENDRA SCOTT
November 25, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m.
Kendra Scott | Mizner Park | 411 Plaza Real, Boca Raton

Please RSVP by clicking on the button below or email Dawn at Communications@LiteracyPBC.org to secure your spot.
Click Here to RSVP

Please join the Literacy Coalition at Kendra Scott, Mizner Park, Boca Raton for an afternoon of fashion, philanthropy and treats at our Sips, Sweets & Style Shop for Good event!
Here’s what you can look forward to:

Exclusive access to Kendra Scott’s latest creations
Sip on delicious refreshments and enjoy sweet treats
Start your holiday shopping early
Personalized styling tips from Kendra Scott experts
An opportunity to give back to our community
Enter the raffle for a chance to win a prize

Between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Kendra Scott will generously donate 20% of the proceeds from purchases to support the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County.
Can’t make it to the event in person? No worries! From November 25th to November 26th, use promo code GIVEBACK-ERUZD at KendraScott.com to contribute to the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County while enjoying the latest Kendra Scott collections from the comfort of your home.
Since 1989, through extensive outreach and collaboration with a network of community partners, the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County has been dedicated to ensuring that individuals in Palm Beach County receive the help they need to improve their literacy skills.
Don’t forget to bring your friends! The more, the merrier! We can’t wait to see you there and make a difference together.

Read for the Record 2023
2023-10-26 | FL
Read for the Record
The Literacy Coalition is coordinating Read for the Record in Palm Beach County for the 18th year on October 26, 2023
Read for the Record brings together millions of people each year in classrooms, libraries, community centers and homes across the US. This annual campaign was launched 18 years ago to highlight the importance of building early literacy and language skills for EVERY child so that all children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed. The Literacy Coalition and our local partner PNC Grow Up Great have joined Jumpstart’s national Read for the Record campaign again to coordinate locally for thousands of adults to read the chosen book to children across the county on a single day. The Literacy Coalition is working locally with municipal leaders, businesses and individual volunteers to make a huge impact. Register your municipality or register to volunteer below:
Last Year’s Read for the Record Campaign Highlights

2023 Read for the Record Book Selection
This year’s book selection is With Lots of Love by Jenny Torres Sanchez and illustrated by Andre Ceolin. It is a story about a girl who has moved to the United States from her home in Central America, away from everything she leaves behind and longs for – especially her Abuela. Rocio does her best to adjust to a new way of living, but there are many things she misses from her old life – Abuela’s cooking, Abuela’s piñata creations, Abuela’s warm hugs, and of course, Abuela herself most of all. But Abuela finds a way to send Rocio something special just in time for her birthday – a gift wrapped with lots of love – and that fills Rocio to the brim. Watch JumpStart announcing the book selection with the author, Jenny Torres Sanchez: Watch a reading of With Lots of Love from Read Around The World with Stacy:
We are grateful for the local campaign support of PNC Grow Up Great.

17th Read for the Record Campaign Highlights
Mayors and public officials participated in our annual competition to see which municipality would have the greatest number of community leaders reading. Thank you to the 340 municipal leaders and staff representing 21 municipalities who participated at 122 sites reading to 19,266 students at elementary school and childcare center locations throughout the county.
Thank you to our celebrity reader Tania Rogers of WPTV 5, and additional campaign supporters The Palm Beach County League of Cities and Comcast. The selected book was Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady and illustrated by Gracey Zhang. A young boy who dreams big, but is too scared to share his dreams with the world. Instead, every night he tells his dream of becoming an astronaut, dancer, and superhero to the moon. As his class moves through career week, Nigel’s community helps him build up confidence in who he is. This book encourages children to celebrate where they come from, who they are, and who they want to be.
2022 MUNICIPALITIES PARTICIPATING:

Small Municipalities

Town of Cloud Lake
Town of Haverhill
Town of Juno Beach
Town of Lake Park — WINNER
Town of Lantana — Honorable Mention
The Town of Loxahatchee Groves
Town of Manalapan
City of South Bay
City of South Palm Beach

Winner of the Small Municipalities –Town of Lake Park: Vice Mayor Kim Glas-Castro, Mayor Michael O’Rourke, Commissioner Roger Michaud, Commissioner John Linden, Commissioner Mary Beth Taylor and Coalition CEO Kristin Calder.
Mid-Size Municipalities

City of Belle Glade
City of Greenacres
City of Lake Worth Beach
Village of Palm Springs — WINNER
Village of Royal Palm Beach — Honorable Mention

Winner of the Mid-Size Municipalities — Village of Palm Springs: Library Director Jossie Maliska, Assistant Village Manager Kim Glas-Castro, Council Member Gary Ready and Council Member Pattie Waller.
Large Municipalities

City of Boca Raton
City of Boynton Beach — Honorable Mention
City of Delray Beach — Honorable Mention
Town of Jupiter
City of Palm Beach Gardens
The Village of Wellington — WINNER
City of West Palm Beach — Honorable Mention

Literacy Coalition CEO, Kristin Calder with Mayor Anne Gerwig: Winner of the Large Municipality — The Village of Wellington. The children and teachers enjoyed a morning of fun at the Cox Science Center based on the featured book at the Literacy Coalition with Cynthia Pilloni and Kim Reckley from PNC, Tania Rogers from WPTV 5 and Kristin Calder, CEO of the Coalition.

Great Charity Challenge
2023-02-04 18:30 - 21:00 | FL
Great Charity Challenge
sponsored by Fidelity Investments®
– $17.7 million to 294 Palm Beach County Charities –
The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is thrilled to have been selected for the Great Charity Challenge. We invite you to save the date for the 14th annual Great Charity Challenge sponsored by Fidelity Investments® (GCC), to be held on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at Wellington International (formerly known as the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center).
This year’s theme is “CANDY WORLD!” Join us as Wellington International transforms into a world full of your favorite treats, bringing everyone together to build a path to a sweeter future for our Palm Beach County neighbors in need.
Click Here to visit our charity page on the Great Charity Challenge website.

Celebrate Jeanne
2022-11-15 | FL
Help Us Celebrate Jeanne’s Silver Anniversary!

As we prepare to celebrate Jeanne Siccone’s 25 years of service with the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County in December, we would love to hear from you with your memories, photos and how she has touched your life through the years. Please fill out the form below and consider honoring her service with a donation to the Coalition before the end of the year.

Read for the Record 2022
2022-10-27 08:00 - 17:00 | Bryant Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lake Avenue and Golfview on the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Worth Beach, FL, 33449, United States
The Literacy Coalition is coordinating Read for the Record in Palm Beach County for the 17th year on October 27, 2022
Read for the Record brings together millions of people each year in classrooms, libraries, community centers and homes across the US. This annual campaign was launched 17 years ago to highlight the importance of building early literacy and language skills for EVERY child so that all children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed.
The Literacy Coalition and our local partner PNC Bank, have joined Jumpstart’s national Read for the Record campaign again to coordinate locally for thousands of adults to read the chosen book to children across the county on a single day. The Literacy Coalition is working locally with municipal leaders, businesses and individual volunteers to make a huge impact. Last year the Coalition distributed hundreds of books to 554 childcare centers and distributed over 600 books to Municipal Leaders and guest readers to read and share with students and children at schools and child care centers through Palm Becah County. Hundreds of volunteers read to 29,127 children at 212 sites.
This year’s book section is Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady and illustrated by Gracey Zhang. A young boy who dreams big, but is too scared to share his dreams with the world. Instead, every night he tells his dream of becoming an astronaut, dancer, and superhero to the moon. As his class moves through career week, Nigel’s community helps him build up confidence in who he is. This book encourages children to celebrate where they come from, who they are, and who they want to be.

Read Together Palm Beach County
2022-04-01 | FL
Join us for our 13th Read Together Palm Beach County “one-book, one-community” campaign is an initiative in which adults throughout the County read the same book at the same time to encourage adults to read together and attend book discussions hosted by community partners, libraries and book clubs to discuss key themes in the book. The Read Together finale will be held on April 1, 2022, during the 31st Annual Love of Literacy Luncheon where the author Elizabeth Berg will be the featured speaker. Ms. Berg’s novels include this year’s Read Together book, The Story of Arthur Truluv, Open House (an “Oprah’s Book Club” selection), Talk Before Sleep, and The Year of Pleasures. Her work has been published in 30 countries, and three of her novels have been turned into TV movies.
The Story of Arthur Truluv is about an unlikely friendship between a teenage girl and an elderly widower. Of the book, Richard Russo said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever read a more affecting book about the natural affinity between the young and the elderly than Elizabeth Berg’s The Story of Arthur Truluv”.
“A good story can bring us all together,” said Kristin Calder, Literacy Coalition CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with libraries and community partners to coordinate the Read Together Palm Beach County Campaign in its 20th year. This year’s Read Together book is uplifting and entertaining, showing how the power of love, and shared connectivity can be fulfilling in helping overcome loneliness and loss. It also confirms that we can all learn from one another regardless of our age, backgrounds or experiences.”
This community reading campaign will entice adults who can read, but often don’t, to get involved in the habit of reading again, it will also promote community dialogue and engagement as citizens gather together to discuss key themes.
Libraries, businesses, service clubs, neighborhoods and schools will hold discussion groups. You can, too! Check back later for the guide with listings of events related to the campaign. Events and book discussions are planned for Winter through early Spring.
This community reading initiative is not a fundraiser but helps support the Literacy Coalition’s mission to improve the quality of life in our community by promoting and achieving literacy.
Copies of the book are available at the Literacy Coalition for a $10 donation. The Palm Beach County libraries and municipal libraries will also have copies to check out.

Please consider hosting an event, sponsoring the Campaign or partnering with us in some way in support of Read Together. Contact the Literacy Coalition with partnership ideas and to be added as a sponsor. Sponsorship’s for the campaign, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 are available, see the link to the form below.
CLICK HERE to download the 2022 Read Together Event & Discussion Guide
CLICK HERE to download the 2022 Read Together poster
CLICK HERE for the event flyer
CLICK HERE for the sponsorship opportunities form

Thank you to our 2022 Partners and Sponsors:

For more information, email Communications@LiteracyPBC.org or call 561-767-3370.

Register your book club or readers group and receive news and updates about Read Together, discussion groups and your club will receive one free book of the current Read Together selection.
CLICK HERE to learn more and to join the Literacy Coalition Book Club.

Thank you to everyone that joined us virtually for the 2020 Read Together Finale!

Thousands of adults, community partners and sponsors joined the Literacy Coalition in the 12th Read Together Palm Beach County Campaign, an initiative in which adults throughout the county read the same book at the same time. Events were hosted throughout the fall to bring the community together to discuss key themes in the book. Our 2020 selected title was The Nickel Boys by New York Times bestselling author Colson Whitehead. The book was inspired by the revelations of a reform school in Florida that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, covered by Ben Montgomery’s series in the Tampa Bay Times about abuse at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. Book discussions were held throughout the county including at The Book Cellar, Serenity Teahouse & Cafe, Palm Beach County libraries and municipal libraries. The online finale on November 18 featured an interview with Mr. Montgomery and commentary by community leaders pictured in this section.
Copies of the book are available at the Literacy Coalition for a $10 donation.
CLICK HERE to read the interview by The Palm Beach Post reporter Adriana Delgado, who interviewed Colson Whitehead last year when the book was released.

The Grand Bee Literary Fun and Games
2020-10-29 18:30 - 21:00 | FL
THE 29th ANNUAL GRAND BEE
Join us virtually Thursday, October 29, for a fun night of literary-themed trivia and spelling competitions for the coveted first place trophy at The Grand Bee!
Gather a team of co-workers or friends for the party. You can assemble your team virtually or in-person and we’ll prepare refreshments and a swag bag for pick-up at a Park Avenue BBQ Grille location near you.
This year’s trivia theme is A Year of Mystery in this exciting virtual game show style format. The event marks the 29th year for the Bee, which started as the Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee.

To view the silent auction items open for bidding, click the button below.

CLICK HERE to download The Grand Bee flyer with additional details.

Alphabet Letter Sponsorship:
A — Alex Glazer
B — Bernadette O’Grady
C — Bataille Family
D — Duke Family
E — Ellie Taft and Scott Miller
F — Atherton Family
G — Gildan Family
H — Alma Horne
I — Available
J — Sonny and Sabine Dantus
K — Lynn Kalber and Scott Eyman
L — Loewenstein Family
M — Melissa and Matt Criscuolo
N — Available
O — Oaxaca-Guzman Family
P — Palm Beach State College
Q — Quality Tutors
R — Rocco Family
S — Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley
T — The Gray Family
U — Available
V — Vera Family
W — Ken Spillias
X — Available
Y — Available
Z — Tom Ztreit

2020 Grand Bee Teams:
The AkerBees (Akerman, LLP)
Bee Alert!
Keiser University
NCCI
Quality Tutors
The Bee’s Knees (FPL)
Tony’s Tornados (The Palm Beach Post)
Email: Communications@LiteracyPBC.org for more information.

Congratulations to the 2019 Grand Bee Champions, The Palm Beach Post! L to R: Front row: Nick Manzino, Carol Rose, Adriana Delgado and Howard Goodman of The Palm Beach Post, with Debra Ghostine, Scott Miller. Back row: Kimberly Lea, Chris Duke, Literacy Coalition CEO Kristin Calder and Bernadette O’Grady.

The Grand Bee Co-Chairmen and Committee: L to R: Telsula Morgan, Chris Duke, Kimberly Lea and Nicole Rocco. Not shown: Nancy Vera.

2019 Grand Bee

2018 Grand Bee Photos

2018 Grand Bee
31 Photos

2017 Grand Bee Photos

The 2017 Grand Bee winning team was Akerman, LLP

2016 Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee Photos

2016 Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee

2015 Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee Photos

Great Grown Up Spelling Bee 2015

Literacy Coalition Book Club
2020-07-10 | FL
Register Your Book Club!
Register your book club with the Literacy Coalition and receive the following:
Read Together Palm Beach County updates
One free copy of the Read Together book for the group leader
Book recommendations
Invitations to literary happenings and more!
If your company or organization would like help getting started with group reading, let us know. CLICK HERE to register your club, or email communications@literacypbc.org and put “book club” in the subject line.

Adult Literacy Tutor Training
2016-08-01 | FL
Would you like to help an adult improve their reading skills?
Become a trained volunteer tutor with the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County!

With Literacy Coalition, your Reading and English skills can improve through our adult literacy tutor training in Palm Beach, FL. Our programs will help prepare you in taking the GED Exams at adult education programs county-wide.
This course is designed to prepare volunteers to work with adult literacy students. Upon completion of the course, tutors will be referred to community agencies and matched with individuals seeking assistance. Volunteers will tutor adults one-to-one. Tutoring sessions are usually held for two hours and will be once or twice a week. Volunteers will tutor them one-to-one, and the sessions will be held in public places, such as schools or libraries.
CLICK HERE to register as an adult literacy volunteer and receive notifications regarding upcoming trainings.
Current volunteer tutors, CLICK HERE for VIC.
Requirements: Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. For more information call Jeanne Heavilin at (561) 767-3366 or e-mail JHeavilin@LiteracyPBC.org.
The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is an equal opportunity employer/program. If you have a disability that requires special services, call us at (561) 279-9103 to ensure the availability of appropriate accommodations.
