Food, casino games and dancing in Altus delivers books to children

 

More than 200 people attended Casino Night in Altus on Saturday (Mar. 6) to help raise money for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program in Franklin County.

The program mails age-appropriate books to pre-school children (from birth up to the fifth birthday) in an effort to boost reading skills by the time a child enters kindergarten. The children receive in the mail a new book each month.

Sarah Fowler, resource development director for the United Way of Fort Smith Area, said 165 Franklin County children — 126 now in the program and 39 who completed the cycle — have benefited from the reading effort. The program is offered to families in Crawford, Franklin, Logan and Sebastian counties at no cost. At the end of 2008, there were 1,321 children in Sebastian County, 101 in Crawford County and 56 in Logan County enrolled, according to the United Way Web site.

“This local (Franklin County) group sees the importance of that early reading and does this to support that,” Fowler said.

Yvonne Case, Franklin County administrator for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, was pleased with the turnout. Casino Night, now in its fifth year, has raised at least $10,000 for the United Way, Case said. She said the event also draws people who may not contribute directly to charity.

“We’re trying to introduce people who don’t give to a charity to what the United Way does,” Case explained.

The night of gaming also included a live auction. Items up for bid included a weekend stay at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, a jewelry package sponsored by Ozark Ford and a “Wine Country Getaway” sponsored by Veronica Post.

Casino Night was held in St. Mary’s Hall in Altus.