Keypoint Credit Union presented a $10,000 check to the Santa Clara City Library Foundation & Friends (SCCLFF) to support the Summer Reading Program. CEO Brad Canfield and Vice President of Branch Sales and Service Helen Grays Jones spoke of their dedication to their community and to literacy and Joy Hansen, Foundation Board President, was on hand to accept the check.
The presentation took place before a SCCLFF-sponsored performance of the Red Panda Acrobats and a record crowd of almost 650 spectators. Erin Ulrich, Library Program Coordinator, described the crowd’s reaction, “It was a really amazing evening. Happy, smiling, and awe-struck faces were everywhere!”
The Summer Reading Program has a big impact on the community. In a typical summer, over 4,000 children, teens and adults participate in the Library’s Summer Reading Program, reading more than 55,000 books. The Library holds over 70 events each summer with attendance of over 5,000 people. The statistics are impressive, but the real heart of the program is watching the delight that Summer Reading Program brings to children. They come for the events and are wowed by the quality of the performers and activities available, for free, at their library.
Summer Reading programs play an important role in literacy, especially for children. According to Erin Ulrich, “Studies show that when kids don’t read in the summer, they fall behind in literacy skills when school starts.” Programs such as summer reading help maintain those skills.
Keypoint’s sponsorship of this program will underwrite the Summer Reading events and the award books children receive at the end of the program.