Going 11 years and showing no signs of stopping, the 2018 Read Across America event at the Middlesboro Mall was a huge success.

Hosted by the Children’s Reading Foundation of Appalachia, parents and children showed up at 10 a.m. to meet all of the local schools, businesses and community agencies that had special booths set up with books and other activities to share. The theme of the event is a celebration of not only spreading the joy of reading to children, but also the birthday of the most famous children’s author of all time — Dr. Seuss.

Debbie Knuckles, head of the Children’s Reading Foundation of Appalachia, stated, “We know that thousands of books went home with children today because of this community event. CRFA-KY is no longer the only organization putting ‘good books into good hands’, and for that we are eternally grateful to our friends and partners who join with us on the first Saturday of March each year, to build or refresh personally libraries for our children.”

The day’s events including photo-ops with the Cat in the Hat and Brian O’Brien of The Big One 106.3 WRIL FM hosting 30th Street Studio, a story time with O’Brien himself, and a Dr. Seuss Character Contest.

The work that goes into this event every year is arduous. Volunteers and the community leaders that participate spend hundreds of hours planning and organizing the day at the mall as well as the various events held at area schools throughout the month.

Still, the event wouldn’t be what it is without the support of the community.

“We continue to be encouraged by the number of families who attend Read Across America at the Middlesboro Mall, and look forward to many more years of providing the event. As long as our schools, business partners and early childhood service providers see the worth of such a celebration, CRFA-KY will continue the tradition,” said Knuckles.