PROVIDENCE – Reach Out and Read Rhode Island and Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island will host their annual READ and ROMP, a family literacy event, on June 17.
Free and open to the community, the event will offer learning-focused activities based on children’s books, including carousel rides, craft stations, games, snacks and more. It will take place at the Roger Williams Park Carousel Village from 10 a.m. to noon.
“In keeping with tradition and the success of past READ and ROMP events, our June 17 event will be a fun, outdoor, family-friendly celebration that engages children in a variety of activities that promote a love of reading,” said Aimee Falso, executive director of Reach Out and Read Rhode Island. “We are always amazed by the literacy magic READ and ROMP creates.”
This will be the fourth READ and ROMP event, after it was paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Neighborhood Health is the sponsor of the event.
“Our involvement in this event is something our organization is incredibly passionate about,” said Brenda Seagrave-Whittle, chief marketing officer of Neighborhood, former longtime board member of RORRI and the 2023 recipient of RORRI’s Community Hero Award. “Through READ and ROMP, Neighborhood gets to support an initiative that nurtures a love for reading, promotes cognitive development and creates family bonding time. All of this equates to a fulfilling opportunity for everyone involved!”
Since 1999, RORRI has partnered with medical providers across the state to provide books to children from birth through age 5. The organization now partners with 70 health care sites statewide, and in 2022 alone more than 350 pediatric medical providers reached more than 45,000 children and provided 90,000 new books at no cost to Rhode Island families.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
