Literacy Council Event Raises Money, Awareness

By Eileen Earnhardt

Staff Writer

Local authors, students and other community members attended the Orange County Literacy Council's annual fall fund-raiser Sunday at the Carrboro Century Center.

Borders Bookstore, Carrburritos and Holiday Inn Chapel Hill sponsored Celebrate Literacy, which featured readings by three N.C. authors, refreshments, a silent auction, a raffle and jazz music.

Organizers said that they expected 150 people to attend the event and that proceeds from the fund-raiser will benefit the nonprofit organization's adult literacy program, which uses volunteers to help adults gain literacy skills.

"We provide training for volunteers to tutor adults in reading, writing and basic math," Lucy Lewis, executive director of OCLC, said. "We work with adults in achieving their goals (with) things like completing their GED and filling out work applications."

Lewis said the OCLC receives money from the state. She also said the OCLC has not received reduced funding this year despite a difficult fiscal year. But she said the group still is in need of funds to fulfill its financial needs.

"As the county is growing, we haven't been able to see increases in funding from sources, so we are looking to this fund raising," she said.

"We're being ambitious. We're hoping to make $10,000 altogether."

The annual event, which is the OCLC's largest fund-raiser, is the product of five months of planning by the fund raising committee.

Patricia Gee, president of the OCLC, said she was pleased with the event.

"I couldn't be happier," Gee said. "We have three wonderful authors, and I am pleased with the turnout."

Lewis said the attending authors -- Sarah Dessen, Nancy Peacock and Daniel Wallace -- read for the fund-raiser for the first time this year.

"We knew the authors this year were terrific up-and-coming authors who have a variety of writing styles," Lewis said.

Daniel Wallace, author of "Big Fish" and "Ray in Reverse" read from his novel "The Watermelon King," which is due out in 2003.

Wallace said reading is a necessity for all people.

"Literacy is a basic value," he said. "It's terrible that anyone can't attain it for reasons beyond their control."

Sarah Dessen, who teaches creative writing at UNC, read from her fifth book, "This Lullaby."

"I tell my students that you can't be a writer without being a reader. I can't imagine not having that because it's such a big part of my life," she said.

Sarah Miller, a junior from Clemmons, was one of several volunteers in attendance from Project Literacy, a Campus Y committee.

"It's a good way to meet other people involved in literacy efforts."

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.