Blog

26th Annual Race for Reading – A Fundraising Success

Jul 12, 2022

As many of you know, the Race for Reading is one of our biggest fundraisers. Before the pandemic, it's been a PCLC staple for a quarter of a century! Unfortunately, in 2020 and 2021, we made the difficult decision to cancel our in-person events. Though we were able to adapt and generate funds through mailing campaigns and online auctions, it couldn't match the level of support from our much-beloved Race for Reading event.

Thankfully, we were able to proceed with our plans to “come back” in 2022 with the 26th Annual Race for Reading, and boy, did we knock it out of the park! (Little Buffalo State Park, that is!) The event was held on May 7, with the Kentucky Derby as our backdrop & theme. The room was full of wonderful people and packed with love, commitment, and delicious food catered by none other than Leslie Heimbaugh.

With tremendous support from our supporters and community, we surpassed our financial goal of $65,000. We are so proud to report that we have surpassed $90,000 raised through our combined Race for Reading dinner event, mail-in campaign, silent auction, and live auction! A massive shout out to retired State Representative Mark Keller, our talented live-action auctioneer, for the evening. We are so fortunate to have him on our team. He may have guilted some folks into spending more, but it’s all for a great cause!

This year’s event was by far our biggest ever – with many new people in attendance. The Recreation Center at Little Buffalo State Park was an excellent venue, and tickets sold out two weeks before the event.

The 26th Annual Race for Reading was held in memory of long-time PCLC advocate and dear friend Anne Chappelka. Anne was a driving force in our efforts and instrumental in making the Race for Reading the successful fundraising celebration it is today. Anne’s family was able to join us for the event and what an absolute privilege it was to have them there!

Since it was our first large-scale in-person event in some time, we also took the opportunity to honor our beloved Dawn Beaver, who lost her battle with breast cancer in early 2020. Dawn was an incredible GED instructor at PCLC for many years—she provided much love and care to her students. We were so happy to have so many of her fabulous, supportive family members in attendance—it’s such a joy to see how this community rallies around PCLC!

Special thanks to our Race for Reading Committee, 20 event volunteers, and the Newport High School Student Council! Through everyone’s hard work and commitment, it all came together beautifully!

We are humbled by the overwhelming support we received throughout the entire spring fundraiser and Race for Reading event! This was a true testament to this community’s dedication and our supporters.

Proceeds from this event support the common good of the organization through discretionary funds. 35-40% of PCLC’s funding comes from the government. This is wonderful, but those government funds come with stringent guidelines. Discretionary funding allows PCLC staff to use funds to address concerns that sometimes aren’t top-of-mind for donors but that are vitally important – things we see in the spur of the moment that might be able to change someone’s life. Thank you for trusting us and for allowing us the opportunity to make decisions that make sense for our clients.

PCLC has been helping individuals break down the barriers that hold them back for over 30 years. The services & programs we provide improve conditions for entire Perry County families through human-centered services, programs, education, skills & credentials. Learn more about the work we do to strengthen the Perry County community.

Thank you to everyone who played a part in the success of the 26th Annual Race for Reading! We are inspired and grateful for your support and contributions!

  • We are looking for committee members if you’d like to get more involved in the Race for Reading. Contact us to learn more.

  • Interested in Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities with PCLC? Contact Leslie at 717-567-7323.

  • Even small gifts can change lives and strengthen our community! Donate online.

Thank you to our incredible Corporate Sponsors!

$500-999
Higher Information Group
Perry Stambaugh for State Representative
Borough of Bloomfield
The Adams Fund
Newport Beverage
Landisburg Lion’s Club
VFW Post 7463

$1,000-1,999
Bank of Landisburg
Lenus Haines Fund
Pennian Bank
Iron Valley Real Estate and The Bald Realtor
Shollenberger, Januzzi and Wolfe, LLC
Greg Rothman for State Senate
Highmark
Capital Blue Cross
Steffy Properties
Hench, Britcher, and Associates
IBS Development
The Giant Company
Margetts Foundation
Johnson & Johnson

$2,000-$5,000
Cnesta Group
Green Acres Realty
Pfoutz Valley United Methodist Church
The Foundation for Enhancing Communities
UPMC

About PCLC

The Perry County Literacy Council is dedicated to delivering the programs and services that impact Perry County, providing a One Stop site in Newport where Adult Education and CareerLink® partners are accessible at a single point of contact.

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We believe that all Perry Countians should have access to services, education and credentials that will support self-sustaining wages. If you are currently facing challenges, please reach out to us. If we can’t help directly, we can direct you to the right resource.

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