The Altrusa Club of Salisbury will have a summer reading festival this weekend that will include games, storytelling, art and food. The event is the first of its kind for the organization, which is trying to return to its roots.
The event will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Patterson Farms, 10390 Caldwell Road, Mount Ulla. The event and activities are free to the public. Each preschool and elementary child will receive a free book, some of which were donated by Literary Bookpost. There will be food vendors at the event selling hot dogs, hamburgers and Latin food.
“Altrusa is an international service organization. When it started in the last century it had two focuses, one was literacy and the other was developing leadership skills in women,” said club President Beth Connell.
Connell said most people will know Altrusa for its food distribution drives, which the organization did for many years.
“Reading is fundamental to all learning activities. Many children, when they leave school in June, if they don’t continue to read and maintain their skills, they come back to school behind,” Connell said.
The event will include local and regional authors Dicy McCullough, Cathy Eller, Dallas Dixon, Marty Hartman, Brenda Barnes and storyteller Obakunle Akinlana. There will be two books read in Spanish by Smart Start program participants Rosa Cardona and Blanca Flores.
“Rowan County is becoming a real diverse community and we want to bring attention to that. This will be a great opportunity for a family fun day,” said member Clara Marts.
Marts said it is a chance for Altrusa to give back to the community.
There will be some door prizes and giveaways at the event.
“We are trying to refocus on things that benefit this community in Rowan County,” Connell said.
She said the organization will have upcoming projects centered on leadership development for women entering or returning to the workforce.
Sponsors of the event include Rowan Public Library, Smart Start Rowan, Woodleaf Lanes and Patterson Farms.
For more about Altrusa Club of Salisbury visit Facebook at Altrusa Club of Salisbury or @altrusasalisbur via Twitter.