Sorority Plans Speed-Reading Contest Jan. 25 for Children’s Book Charity
Contact: Yanghee Kwon, 992-7593; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — Members of UMaine’s Pi Beta Phi sorority are holding an unusual race to take place during the halftime intermission of the UMaine men’s basketball game Sunday, Jan. 25 — a reading-aloud race to raise funds for a children’s book charity.
The sorority has recruited two volunteer readers, Robert Dana, vice president of Student Affairs and dean of students, and Kevin Taschereau, Greek life adviser at UMaine, to participate in a quick reading competition at the Harold Alfond Sports Arena. UMaine plays Boston University, starting at 1 p.m.
Says Yanghee Kwon, Pi Beta Phi’s vice president of philanthropy, the speed reading competition is a fundraiser for First Book, a non-profit organization that raises money for first books for children from low income families in the United States and Canada. Sorority sisters will collect donations during the intermission.
During halftime, Dana and Taschereau will read aloud part of a children’s book, to see how much text each can cover in 15-seconds.
“Whoever reads fastest will be crowned the Speed Read Champion,” Kwon says. “Our sisters will be at the main entrance collecting donations during the intermission.”
Questions can be directed to Kwon by email —Yanghee.Kwon@umit.maine.edu — or telephone, at 992-7593.
The event will be short — less than five minutes, because of the shortness of the halftime intermission. The game starts at 1 p.m. Kwon says the event went well last year when it was held at the Orchard Trails Community Center.
Since it was created in 1992, the Washington D.C.-based First Book has distributed more than 50 million books to children in more than 3,000 communities.