On the loose with Dr. Seuss
March 2 would have marked the 106th birthday of Theodor Geisel, who is better known as Dr. Seuss.
In honor of Dr. Seuss, Pi Beta Phi held two events. The first was on his true birthday at the Boys and Girls Club in Franklin. The events of the day included face paintings and coloring pages.
At the end of the day, each child took one book home with them that was donated by Pi Beta Phi.
"Events like this are really important to us because seeing a child with a book is really beneficial for us because we get to see the benefits of our philanthropy, first hand. So, every child that we send a book home with, we know that we’re making a difference in that child’s life," said Pi Beta Phi President Laura Burpo, sophomore.
The other Pi Beta Phi event was held last Saturday at the Barnes & Noble in Greenwood. This event was called "Seuss on the Loose."
At this event, there was a Dr. Seuss book read every hour, on the hour, and related events that followed. After reading "Wacky Wednesday," children had to find out what was wrong with a picture based on the story. After reading "Cat in the Hat," there was a cake to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday. After reading "Oh, the Places You’ll Go," participants went on a scavenger hunt throughout the store.
"Seuss on the Loose" also served as a fundraiser for the Early Literacy Program of Johnson County, which helps prepare students for school success.
Dawn Underwood is the coordinator for the Community Alliance Promoting Education, or the C.A.P.E., program. This is her second year working with Pi Beta Phi to raise money for the Early Literacy Program.
"A lot of our kids are entering kindergarten [unprepared]." Underwood said. "A lot of families can’t afford preschool and Head Start has a long wait list.
"So, a lot of our children are entering kindergarten without ever having attended preschool and just don’t have the necessary skills ready to learn. I think that the work that we do is important and we hope to see that it will continue and it will be fundraisers like this that will enable us to."
As of Wednesday, Pi Beta Phi had raised more than $500 from the "Seuss on the Loose" event.
