Skip to content

Kids rock at ‘Surrey Reads’ event at Guildford Town Centre

$5K donation for Read to Baby program
10316349_web1_SKR.TonyProphet2.2018
Musician Tony Prophet leads young guitarists in song at the Surrey Reads event held Saturday (Jan. 20) at Guildford Town Centre. (submitted photo)

SURREY — Family Literacy Day was marked at Guildford Town Centre on Saturday (Jan. 20) during another “Surrey Reads” event.

Hundreds of families attended the annual gathering, hosted by Surrey Libraries.

“There were gifts, magic and rock ’n roll for all the participants,” Sara Grant, the organization’s manager of youth services, said in an email to the Now-Leader. “The first 200 families to arrive at the event also received a free copy of the children’s book, The Reading Tree.”

On behalf of Surrey Firefighters Charitable Society, Surrey councillor Dave Woods (as acting mayor) presented Surrey Libraries board chair Karen Reid Sidhu with a cheque for $5,000 toward Read to Baby, a family literacy program that introduces parents of newborns to the benefits of early and frequent reading to infants.

Entertainers at the afternoon event included Norden the Magician, storyteller Silly Suzie and rock ‘n’ roll performer Tony Prophet.

Community organizations represented at Surrey Reads include Surrey Schools Strong Start, Options Community Services Society, Surrey Nature Centre, Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association and Surrey Community Recreation Services.

Family Literacy Day is a national initiative involving annual literacy-related events and activities held on or around Jan. 27, to raise awareness of the importance of literacy.

For a list of other Surrey Libraries-hosted events, visit surreylibraries.ca/events.

10316349_web1_SKR.StageShot.Distant.2018
The crowd at Saturday’s Surrey Reads event held at Guildford Town Centre. (submitted photo)