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LA PUENTE, CA – DECEMBER 6, 2007 – Oh the places students and families will go when they visit the new Wonder of Reading Library at Rorimer Elementary School. The grand opening celebration will take place on Monday, December 10 at 10 a.m. Rorimer Elementary raised more than $40,000 to match a donation by The Wonder of Reading, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring the love of reading in children. The primary sponsor for the school library was a generous donation from Hilton Hotels Corporation.
“During my career, I have never seen such spirit and community effort in accomplishing an objective,” said Rorimer Principal Audrey Hicks. “So many community members, parents, students and staff have been involved in raising money, painting murals, moving books, etc. that it is overwhelming. I swell with pride as I see the joint efforts of so many people making our dream of a new library a reality.”
The new library features more than $10,000 worth of new books and engages students with cozy reading corners, where they can “flop” and read on bean bags. A mini amphitheater with steps provides the perfect place for storytelling by staff and volunteers. Individual study carrels are available for volunteers, trained by The Wonder of Reading, to work with students who struggle with reading skills. These one-on-one sessions will be held for an hour a week during the school day for the entire academic year.
“It is with great enthusiasm that I attend the dedication of this wonderful new library. Hilton Hotels Corporation has a long and proud history of being a good corporate citizen and we can think of no better way to contribute to our communities than by providing every child with the opportunity to discover and travel the world through the wonder of reading,” said Kathy Shepard, vice president, corporate communications, Hilton Hotels Corporation.
The grand opening ceremony will feature students performing at all grade levels. Children are anxious to sing out their thanks for the opening of a Wonder of Reading library. The United States Marine Corps will present the countries colors to begin the celebration ceremony.
This will be the fourth Wonder of Reading Library to open in the Rowland Unified School District. In an effort to continue to expand and renovate school facilities, more Wonder of Reading Libraries are planned to open in 2008.
The Wonder of Reading transforms libraries into vibrant centers of learning through implementation of the 3R Program – Renovate, Restock and Read. The organization expands and renovates school libraries to make them more useful and inviting, restocks them with new books, and trains volunteers to work with below grade-level readers. For more information about The Wonder of Reading and its programs, please visit their website at www.wonderofreading.org.
Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in 76 countries and territories. The More than 2,300 hotels are owned, managed or franchised in North America withcompany owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection®.
Rorimer Elementary School is located at 18750 Rorimer Street in La Puente. If you are interested in becoming a Wonder of Reading Volunteer or would like to make a donation to the ongoing fundraising efforts, please contact Principal Audrey Hicks at (626) 965-3333.