Tuscaloosa Education Foundation Nets $190K To Expand Reading Allies Program

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission on Friday announced a contribution of $190,000 to the Tuscaloosa Education Foundation (TEF) to support its Reading Allies program.

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The check was presented during the final meeting of the Bicentennial Commission by Commission co-chair Tim Parker, Jr. to TEF Board President Mark Sullivan.

“When we started our planning for the Bicentennial, we thought big and accomplished all of our goals with funds left to provide for a critical need in our community– teaching children to read by 3rd grade," Parker said. "We are excited to support the Tuscaloosa Education Foundation in this mission.”

The funds will come from the remaining money raised to underwrite the Commission's year-long calendar of educational, cultural and entertainment events in 2019.

“The Tuscaloosa community was so enthusiastic about the Bicentennial celebration and so extraordinarily generous that we realized that there may be an opportunity to leave an additional lasting impact on the community by appropriating unused funds to a legacy project,” Bicentennial Commission co-chair Cathy Randall said. “The Reading Allies Tuscaloosa program already was making huge differences in the lives of local students and thus was chosen as the beneficiary of whatever funds remained.”

Pam Parker chaired the Fundraising Committee for Tuscaloosa 200 and expressed gratitude for the contributions and the difference the programming will make in the community.

“We are deeply appreciative to all our donors for their commitment to our community and their vision for the future," she said. "The Reading Allies program will carry on their legacy for generations to come. I also want to recognize the Tuscaloosa Rotary Club, which was a founding community partner in the Reading Initiative. Their members have been vital to getting us to this wonderful level of progress.”

Reading Allies aims to improves literacy in first, second, and third grade students through a collaborative community effort. Two Tuscaloosa City Schools participated in Reading Allies during the fall 2021, with a third school has been added for spring 2022.

The program will also expand to serve five schools in the 2022-2023 school year, and eight high-need Tuscaloosa City Schools elementary Schools during the 2023-2024 school year.

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