If you’re worried about keeping up your kids’ reading skills during the winter break, here’s something that might give them that little extra push. From February 13 to March 29 (the end of the Bookworm Literary Festival), the United Foundation for China’s Health (UFCH) is holding its first-ever readathon called Read for Hope. The idea is for kids (ages 5 and up) to raise money for charity by securing sponsorship to read at least 30 minutes every day in any language.
So far, almost 1,000 students from four international schools – Canadian International School of Beijing, Dulwich College Beijing, the International School of Beijing, and Daystar Academy – have signed up to participate in the event. Organizations like Sports Beijing, the Bookworm, Roundabout, Le-Kids, and Depan have also committed to publicize the event and help with signup.
Participants will catalog their reading in a booklet provided by UFCH. Friends and family can decide to sponsor them for a modest daily amount (e.g. RMB 5 per day) or through a lump sum at the end of the readathon. The campaign will cap off with gifts for all the participants as well as prizes for categories like Most Donations, Most Sponsors, Class with the Most Donations, Class with the Most Sponsors, and Most Days of Reading. Grownups are welcome to join the action too.
One of the recipient’s of Chi Fan for Charity 2014, UFCH provides medical help to orphans, poor families, migrant students, and other vulnerable groups across China. The organization is getting ready to launch Wheels for Life, a mobile community clinic that aims to serve over 20 foster homes and migrant schools in Beijing. All proceeds from this year’s Read for Hope will benefit Wheels for Life and a migrant school in Daxing County.
To sign up for Read for Hope, visit UFCH’s website here. For more information, contact info@unitedfoundation.org or 5927 7462.
Photo: Courtesy of UFCH
