On November 19th, United Way of Horry County and Black River United Way will collaborate to read to every first grade class room in Horry, Georgetown, and Williamsburg Counties for the 5th Annual United to Read. United to Read celebrates literacy and promotes the importance of reading in the tri-county area. In prior years, 150 volunteers have read to over 3,000 students in Horry County, but this year due to COVID-19 the event will be held virtually.
This year, 159 classrooms, including 34 virtual classes, and over 3,000 students will get to hear from some of Horry County’s “Hometown Heroes,” who will be reading “Big Al” by Andrew Clements virtually. The Hometown Heroes will prerecord themselves reading the book and educators and students will have access to these videos on the day of the event via Google Drive. Classrooms will be able to choose what Hero they want to read to them and after reading the book the students will participate in a correlated activity to support the book’s message. “Big Al” teaches students that true friendship isn’t based on what you see on the outside, but it is based on what type of person, or fish, you are on the inside. Each classroom will be given a copy of “Big Al.”
Hometown Hero readers include: WPDE TV-15’s Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski, Three-time United States Olympian Amber Campbell, Splash from the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Devante’ Jones from Coastal Carolina Men’s Basketball, Aja Blount from Coastal Carolina Women’s Basketball, A Medieval Times Knight, Sergeant Jarrett Wallace from the Conway Fire Department, City of Myrtle Beach Police Department’s Officer Chris Sterling, Bruce Refuse and Kendra from the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, Gator 107.9 Morning Show Host Adam Dellinger, and WBTW News-13 Evening Anchor Nicole Boone.
Pictured below is June Caroline Dunn reading at last year’s United to Read!
