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Rotary’s SMOOCH is a Valentine’s to Readers

Reading at any age can open doors and new worlds. Wimberley’s Rotary Club’s mission to get books into the young hands. Their SMOOCH event is their only fundraiser to support their Rotary Loves Readers program.

“This is the only time we ask the public for money,” SMOOCH Coordinator Ricci Burbank said. “SMOOCH is the event where drinking wine and eating hors d’oeuvre benefits readers and local literacy projects. It funds scholarship awards, the junior high students’ reading programs and providing free books throughout the year.”

They also provide volunteers for the reading buddies program at Jacob’s Well Elementary. “I’ve seen kids excel. It helps the teacher by providing one on one support with students. The kids enjoy it tremendously.”

The Rotarians events are:

• Santa Book Give-Away - The Rotary Club of Wimberley makes available a free book to every child that visits the EmilyAnn Theater’s annual Trail of Lights.

• Reading Incentives for Junior High Students – The club sponsors four contests during the school year to encourage pleasure reading by young teens and preteens.

• Deer Creek Book Club - Rotarians host a monthly book club at Deer Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

• Academic and Vocational Scholarships the club offers two annual scholarships for students bound for college or trade schools.

• Reading Buddies - Rotary volunteers pair individually with each of JWE’s 2nd grade classrooms to provide reading support on a weekly basis to students in need of additional reading practice.

• Rotary Youth Leadership Award – The club has four deserving high school juniors to attend a three day leadership conference each January.

• Just Desserts - Rotarians recognize a teacher each month at Jacobs Well Elementary for teaching excellence.

• Back to School Fiesta - In partnership with Barnabas Connection and other charitable organizations, the Rotary Club of Wimberley works to provide school supplies to 500+ children in the Wimberley Valley the weekend before school starts each fall.

• Halloween Trick-or-Read – The club hands out over 700 books to children trick-or-treating on the Wimberley Square and at Deer Creek Nursing Home.

• Little Free Libraries - These small, weatherized boxes of books around town are co-sponsored with the Wimberley Village Library. Christmas Store

• The club provides 120 new books for the Christmas Store established with the partnership of the Barnabas Connection.

• Camp Good Sam - The Rotary Club of Wimberley is happy to sponsor a child for attendance at Camp Good Sam.

• Davis Moon Project - Founded by a former member of the Rotary Club of Wimberley, the mission of the Davis Moon Project is to be a resource for children’s libraries, schools and orphanages in Ethiopia

SMOOCH helps fund all these events. SMOOCH takes place on Valentine’s night at the 7A Ranch Opera House with live music by the Vortexans. Dancing, wine, beer, refreshments and photo booth photos are just some of the fun that will happen from 7:30 until 10 p.m. Tickets are $40. This benefits the Rotary Loves Readers program.

Information on tickets is available at rotaryclubofwimberley.com and on their Facebook page.

Wimberley View

P.O. Box 49
Wimberley, TX 78676
Phone: 512-847-2202
Fax: 512-847-9054