Mercer County Organizations Support Children Reading

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WOAY) – Businesses and organizations gathered at Mercer Mall to support children’s education.

The 2019 annual Roll N’ Read theme was Clifford’s story adventures. Each organization used a book about Clifford to teach children different lessons, ranging from math to manners.

“I think it’s very good idea to teach children manners, and we thought that would be a great idea to have them practice some of the manners in Clifford’s book,” said WIC’s Diane Landy.

Some organizations read books to the children. Others prepared more hands on experiences such as coloring and making Valentine’s Day cards.

“They got to pick out some toys, got to get some good books, so they’ve had a great time,” said Emma Baker, whose daughter was participating.

At the end of the day, everyone at the event had the same goal in mind.

“I’m just hoping that we can help cultivate a love of reading for an entire lifetime for these children,” said Landy.

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Kassie Simmons
Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.