Union-Bulletin

WALLA WALLA -- The annual Dr. Seuss Day celebration to be held at Whitman College on Sunday marks a well-established partnership between the college and Walla Walla Public Library.

The college's Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority puts on the yearly event, with support from the college's Center for Community Service.

Whitman's Dr. Seuss Day coincides with Read Across America Day, and draws hundreds of community families each year. The free event offers reading, together with games, crafts and other activities, and provides books for children to take home.

Today is Read Across America Day, a program of the National Education Association that celebrates and encourages reading. The day coincides with the birthday of Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodore Seuss Geisel.

Sara Graham, a Whitman sophomore, is the philanthropic chair of Kappa Kappa Gamma this year. Graham said her sorority supports Reading is Fundamental, a nonprofit children's literacy organization.

"I know as a kid I loved reading," Graham said. "It's such an important skill later in life as well."

With literacy as its national cause, Kappa Kappa Gamma and the city's library have developed a natural partnership through the years. The Dr. Seuss Day event is the year's biggest event, but literacy projects go on throughout the year.

The sorority members are frequent visitors at the library, often running arts and crafts on Saturdays.

For Dr. Seuss Day, the members will make appearances as Thing 1 and Thing 2, and the clever Cat in the Hat for a reading and acting out of the well-known book.

Elizabeth George, young people's librarian at the Walla Walla Public Library, said Kappa members bring enthusiasm and energy to their literacy efforts with community youngsters.

At the same time, area youths get to interact with college students. And on Dr. Seuss Day, the effort goes one step further by getting young people and their families on a college campus.

"Having this cross-generational interaction between college students and the children has been wonderful," George said.

Maria P. Gonzalez can be reached at mariagonzalez@wwub.com or 526-8317.

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Dr. Seuss Day

Area children are invited to celebrate Read Across America Day and mark Dr. Seuss's birthday at Whitman College.

When: Sunday, 2-3:30 p.m.

Where: Whitman College's Reid Campus Center, corner of Park Street and Boyer Avenue.

Details: Games, crafts, music and reading will be offered throughout the day. Every family gets to take home a free book.