Every year, the Saturday after Dr. Seuss’ birthday marks the Read Across America day. Accordingly, local families and youths will celebrate reading along with the rest of the nation March 5.

Lincoln Square in Urbana will be the location to kick-start this year’s celebration – which has been locally promoted for the past five years – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The Read Across America program is all about education and reading,” said Amani Ayad, career educator at the Urbana Adult Education Center.

Ayad, along with Sheri Langendorf, Reading Is Fundamental coordinator at Parkland Community College, are co-chairs for the local Read Across America planning committee. The program is sponsored by several local organizations, including radio stations, newspapers, schools and libraries, which donate money and books for the cause.

“Here at Urbana Adult Education we feel that if the children read, they will grow up to be well-educated adults,” said Ayad. “Mainly we are attracting families with children from 2 years old to 12 years old. (We want families) to celebrate reading and get their children excited about reading.”

To help promote the event, a variety of fun educational activities will be available, said Ayad. Over two dozen activity booths will include storytelling, puppet shows and programs designed especially for children under 6 years old. Free books will also be passed out to the children.

Ayad said she is pleased the event attracts a very diverse group of students from different backgrounds. To accommodate the cultural diversity, readings will also be available in Spanish.

With more than 850 people in attendance last spring, Ayad said the program is steadily growing by the hundreds each year. Enough activities and books will be made available to an estimated crowd of 1,000 participants for this year’s event.

In order to ensure a successful day, the program looks for volunteers within the community. Various campus organizations, fraternities and sororities, and community organizations are involved.

Vishal Desai, a member of the Alpha Iota Omicron fraternity, said he really enjoyed the event last year.

“It sounded really appealing for a service project for our fraternity,” said Desai, a junior in LAS who led Alpha Iota Omicron’s volunteer experience with Read Across America. “It’s really worth the time to help the kids.”

Desai said the fraternity plans to volunteer again this year.

Local elementary schools promote Read Across America in their own way by reading many Dr. Seuss books and participating in various related activities.

Anne Broom, a second-grade teacher at Leal Elementary School in Urbana, said her experience with Read Across America last year was positive. The students loved it, said the former first-grade teacher.

“As first-graders, the kids really enjoy it,” Broom said. She said she reminded her second-grade class to attend this year.

“Many of my kids are really, really excited about going to Lincoln Square on Saturday … It is like a big to-do.”

Gayle Jeffries, principal at Prairie Elementary School in Urbana, said she encourages all of her students to participate. The school reminded families of the event in a newsletter, and promotes reading through literacy programs within the school and at the public libraries.

“I think (the Read Across America program) is a worthwhile venture,” Jeffries said. “Literacy is extremely important and will help kids in being successful in their future. So hopefully we’ll have a lot of participants.”