Pasadena Tournament of Roses Kicks off Book donations to Local Non-Profits in Honor of MLK and National Day of Service
On January 18, 2021, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses honored the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in the National Day of Service. A handful of the Tournament of Roses’ 935 volunteer members gathered at Tournament House to kick off our distribution of books to students of Pasadena. Working with our partner Literati Kids, the premier children’s book subscription service in the U.S., the Tournament of Roses is working to get 10,000 books into the hands of local children (ages 5-12).
“Local nonprofits and programs that serve children will receive the books,” said Carlos Illingworth, Senior Director of Community Relations for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. “The organizations include the Pasadena Educational Foundation, as well as the City of Pasadena’s “Little by Little” School Readiness Program and LA County’s Department of Children and Family Services.”
The organizations were identified by the Tournament of Roses in collaboration with the Pasadena Public Library. “We are happy to support and grow literacy in Pasadena and are delighted to be partnering with the Tournament of Roses as they work towards this goal as well,” said Jennifer Driscoll, Senior Librarian of Youth Services for the Pasadena Public Library.
The first organization to receive books is the Pasadena Educational Foundation, which plans to distribute 3,000 books to students in the Pasadena Unified School District.
The Tournament of Roses plans to get the remainder of the 10,000 books out to local community organizations throughout the month of February and will culminate the distribution on Read Across America Day (March 2) with volunteer members serving as virtual guest readers with community organizations. The Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that hosts America’s New Year Celebration® with the Rose Parade® presented by Honda, the Rose Bowl Game® and a variety of accompanying events. The Association’s 935 volunteer members drive the success of these annual events. For more information, visit www.tournamentofroses.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
