“At what age do young children start decoding the world around them?”
This was the thought-provoking question that ROR-KC Medical Director Sallie Page-Goertz recently asked 180 community members and leaders, including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and former Mayor Sly James. Sallie was the honorary host for our successful 2020 For the Love of Books Breakfast last month at a brand new location, Grand Street Cafe.
On a cold Thursday morning when you’d typically be driving into work thinking about the day ahead, we gave our attendees the opportunity to take a break from the norm and gather for breakfast, meaningful conversation and a glimpse into Reach Out and Read Kansas City’s world.
Even with the temperatures dropping, attendees warmed our hearts with their generous donations, and we’re grateful for the $53,560 the event has grossed so far.
Throughout the morning, inspiration came in many forms as Sallie challenged us to envision what it would feel like for a child on a day-to-day basis that didn’t have access to books or know how to read, how reading would feel like a difficult code. To put this theory to the test, ROR-KC staff made a code listed on the For the Love of Books breakfast programs for attendees to decipher. The code resulted in: Books Are Awesome! In Kansas City’s lowest income neighborhoods, research estimates only one book is owned in the home per 300 children. ROR-KC is doing all we can to bridge this gap so that all children in the Kansas City area have a book to call their own.
Sallie then explained an interesting Princeton University study conducted earlier this year, click here to read more. A team of Princeton researchers developed a new way to measure baby and adult brain activity during natural interaction. It’s not your imagination — you and your baby or grandbaby really are on the same wavelength!
Our guests were then treated to an insightful Q&A lead by Fox 4’s Shannon O’Brien towards our Keynote Speakers, local children’s book authors Aja James and Audrey Masoner. We learned more about them as individuals and their journey into how “Mayor Sly and the Magic Bow Tie: A Kansas City Adventure” was born.
ROR-KC would like to extend a special thank you to our event sponsors: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Hallmark, Sallie Page-Goertz & Kenneth Goertz, Pamela Madaus & William McLean III and The Walsh Family Foundation.
ROR-KC would also like to extend a special thank you to this year’s For the Love of Books breakfast committee: Jeni Cosgrove (Chair), Tanya Rodecker Wendt, Laura Blasi MD, Angie Endicott, Cynde Fry, Elizabeth Hobart, and Tiffany Wu. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to this event!
Thank you to Fox 4’s Shannon O’Brien for being our Emcee for the morning and to the staff at Grand Street Cafe.
We hope we will have your support for next year’s For the Love of Books breakfast!