One Door Polk, Ferst Foundation teaming up for event next Thursday

In honor of the nationally celebrated Summer Learning Day, One Door Polk (424 N Main Street, Cedartown) is hosting a Summer fun day for children up to third grade and their families on July 13 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. depending on the turnout.

The Summer Fun Day will be dedicated towards teaching children the importance of reading and literacy.

What better way to show a child the importance of reading than to make them witness it first hand? Various stations will be set up during the event and the young readers at the event will move around the stations listening to stories, signing up for Ferst, eating healthy snacks, playing literacy games, and possibly meeting story book and movie characters who come to visit.

Each group will visit every station at least once for a round robin format. Afterwards, children will be moved outside for a water activity, a free book, more snacks, and knowledge about the importance of reading. For toddlers, the Reading Oasis room will be set up.

The event is not entirely set in stone, and those who are willing to contribute should contact the Polk council by emailing polkcouncil@yahoo.com.

One Door Polk is looking for animated readers (those who can tell a story with props, costumes, or acting,) prizes to give the children, story book costumes or actors, a helium tank and lots of balloons, books, sponsors, decorators who are free on 7/12, literacy related games, or anything book/reading related.

The Ferst foundation for Childhood Literacy, FFCL, plays an important role in literacy events like One Door Polk's Summer Fun Day and Summer Learning Day. FFCL is non-profit organization with the goal of supplying books capable of helping preschool children quickly become literate and successful learners.

Children enrolled in Ferst will have an age- appropriate book mailed to them every month until their 5th birth- day. Parents will receive a newsletter on how to encourage and help children read and appreciate books.

The program is free and open to any child in Polk County. Funds for the program are raised locally by donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and businesses. There is also an annual “Evening with the Authors.”

Next year's event is slated February 28, 2018 and will be held at “In the Woods” at Rockmart.

Those interested in enrolling children or donating can visit Ferst at the Rockmart Homespun from July 21st22nd or visit the Ferst website at www. ferstfoundation.org