There was a fun-filled Fancy Nancy Halloween Party at Caston Park Sunday afternoon. Thirty children dressed in their Halloween costumes walked on a magical red carpet to enter a land of fanciful games and fun activities: fancy dancing around the Halloween pumpkins, making lollipop ghosts, creating fancy bookmarks, having their fingernails painted, enjoying a tea party, listening to a story, jumping in a sack race, playing fun games, and laughing in amazement at a magic show. “It was very rewarding to see the children have such a good time and to know we were helping a worthy cause”, said Audrey Deberry, First Steps volunteer. To come to the party, parents, grandparents and other individuals gave personal donations of $30 or more to help local children continue to receive books on Chesterfield County First Steps’ book program: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
 
In addition to the Fancy Nancy event, First Steps is fortunate to have the recent continued support of the Malloy Foundation and Rotary of Cheraw who join several other corporate and civic donors as key financial sponsors, making it possible to bring this highly acclaimed reading program to children in Chesterfield County”, said Karen Odom executive director of Chesterfield County First Steps. Fundraising activities ensure that children already enrolled in the program continue to receive books each month and that other children can participate.  With the help of generous sponsors like the Malloy Foundation and Rotary, quality, developmentally appropriate children’s books are mailed directly to young children each month until their fifth birthday. Children look forward each month to a new and exciting reading adventure. As parents make time to read with their child, a strong association of love and comfort is made with reading. The goals of the program are to instill a love of learning, to help prepare children for kindergarten, and to improve childhood literacy and success in school.

If a child is enrolled at birth, the child will have a personal library of 60 books by his/her first day of kindergarten!  The mission of Imagination Library is to instill a love of reading at an early age, paving the way for a lifelong love for education.  About 500 children from all over the county are currently enrolled on the First Steps Imagination Library program.  Imagination Library was created by entertainer Dolly Parton and is currently in place throughout the United States and Canada. 

Chesterfield County First Steps is committed to supporting learning and development for children so that they become responsible and contributing adults. According to board member Mary Redfearn, “We want to ensure children have positive developmental opportunities so that they can start school ready to succeed. We want to grow success in learning and in life”.

“Thanks to generous donations from Chesterfield County citizens, businesses and others, we are on our way to not only sustaining this wonderful literacy program, but hopefully expand it”, said board member Charlie Gray.  To expand it to the other 2,000 children in the county who are eligible, more funds are needed.  For a $30.00 donation you could provide a monthly gift of reading to a local child.  Please consider making a donation today.  To learn how you can help, please contact us at 623-5904.