Reading Rainbow in the Park - Literacy Event in East Palo Alto, Saturday May 18th

April 24, 2013 - PRLog -- Silicon Valley, CA- Stanford Alumni in partnership with Computers for Everyone present the Third Annual Reading Rainbow in the Park, East Palo Alto. The event will take place on Saturday, May 18th, 2013 from 11:00am to 3:00pm at Bell Street Park at 550 Bell Street, East Palo Alto, CA. This event encourages families to join in the fun of reading with youth and teenagers of all ages. There will be reading activities, games, contests and entertainment throughout the day hosted by volunteers and community organizations as well as the San Mateo County mobile literacy bus to register attendees for free library cards. Free books will be given to all youth attending. Free prizes will be raffled off throughout the day including toys, gift certificates, mp3 players, and a Mac laptop**! Over 20 local organizations have signed up to host activities and support the event. 106 KMEL’s Lady Ray will serve as the Master of Ceremonies with the KMEL Street Team on site playing music.  “Dora the Explorer” and “Diego” will also make an appearance. This year’s event will also feature a “college workshop booth” hosted by local colleges and organizations to inform those interested of college opportunities and the process of applying to college. College Track will be hosting their Second Annual Spelling Bee where winners will be awarded a Mac laptop**! There will be free food, refreshments, snacks, and many giveaways. This event is free and open to the public; however pre-registration for your family or a group is strongly suggested at: http://readinginthepark.eventbrite.com/.

**Students competing under 16 will need a parent/guardian present to win or to pick up the laptop.

This event hopes to bring awareness to the benefits of reading by exposing kids, teenagers and families to a variety of community resources, programs and books for entertainment, education and empowerment. "I wanted to bring this event to our youth because of the impact books made in my life. Growing up poor and disadvantaged, my mother often took us to places that were free which were the park and the library. I was able to go to Stanford despite my circumstances because being able to read at a young age gave me an edge. With the internet and TV entertaining our youth and taking away their attention, I wanted to remind our community about the wealth and power of books." - Marlayna Tuiasosopo, event organizer and creator.

The event is also an opportunity for Stanford University alumni, friends and community members to give back to its surrounding community; to sign up to volunteer please visit: http://tinyurl.com/readinginpark

Volunteer - “We are excited to work with the community of East Palo Alto to put on this event. East Palo Alto is filled with gifted, talented and creative youth. Put a book in their hands and powerful things will happen.”  

Partnering Organization - “Computers for Everyone is dedicated to closing the digital divide. Reading is a precursor to all kinds of literacy and computer literacy is a precursor to many of the skills that enable life successes. We at Computers for Everyone are proud to help make this a reality in our community.”

This event was instigated by “Beyond the Farm”, an initiative seeking to extend Stanford University’s spirit of service to communities around the world through the volunteer efforts of Stanford alumni, family and friends. With the dedication of every individual within the University’s 200,000+ – strong alumni community, thousands of local causes can be supported and hundreds of global initiatives can be launched.

The mission of Computers for Everyone is to enable our underserved communities to access the digital world through affordable education, equipment, connectivity, and support. For more information visit their website at computersforeveryone.org.

For more information about the event visit https://www.facebook.com/events/558747777502680/ or contact the event organizer via email at tui3@stanfordalumni.org or telephone at (415) 517-8843.

Contact: Ms. Marlayna Tuiasosopo, Event Organizer

Telephone: (415)517-8843; Email: tui3@stanfordalumni.org