LIVERMORE – Literacy enthusiasts of all ages came together at the Livermore Elementary School on Saturday for a fair aimed at getting children and adults to realize the importance of being able to read and write.
More than 1,000 attended the event throughout the day, and visitors were treated to plenty of literacy-based activities and a wide variety of fun and games, including face painting, bookmark making and an art show.
Entertainers included Charlie Who the mime, clown Rick Merrill, puppeteer Patricia Stockford, author Lynn Plourde, music by The Nobodys, and plenty of skits from the Livermore High School Drama Club. Several student and teacher volunteers were on hand to help.
After visiting a literacy fair in November, reading specialist Pam Hamilton and librarian Cheryl Nurse decided they wanted to bring something of the same nature back to Livermore Falls. “We really wanted to do one of our own,” said Hamilton.
Through a grant of $1,000 from the local PTO, Hamilton and Nurse were able to hire the entertainers and promote the fair through advertising.
Nurse, a self-proclaimed avid reader, wanted to spread the message of how essential parents are to their children’s literacy. She said she hoped that people at the fair went away with the message of “Please read to or listen to your child for at least 15 minutes a day.”
The fair also highlighted local organizations and clubs. The event featured bake sales, raffles, arts and crafts sellers and book sellers. Livermore Falls Head Start, Maine Public Broadcasting, Livermore Falls Public Library and Family Literacy in Maine were just a few of the organizations at the fair.
Both Hamilton and Nurse hope that the fair turns into an annual occurrence at the school, and they’re already looking for ways to fund next year’s program.
“This is not about reading, it’s about life,” said Hamilton.
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