MAYOR OF BOSTON ISSUES PROCLAMATION DECLARING JULY 10TH AS LITERACY DAY

Mayor Martin J. Walsh will issue a proclamation designating July 10th as Literacy Day in Boston. Literacy Day recognizes the importance of advancing literacy – which helps create more successful societies, healthy communities and prosperous economies – to every person in the city and beyond.

More than 45 million people in the U.S. are functionally illiterate, and 32 million Americans cannot read at all – including thousands in Boston. Literacy Day is a call to action for leaders across education, government, philanthropy, business and the community, to come together to address this solvable challenge.

The International Literacy Association (ILA), a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all, will champion Literacy Day on Sunday, July 10, 2016 with its first-ever Steps to Advance Literacy 5K on the Boston Common. The 5K will benefit ILA’s literacy activities and the organization will also donate books to Reach Out and Read, a Boston-based non-profit that incorporates books into pediatric care to encourage families to read aloud together.

"As a city, we recognize that literacy is essential for people of all ages, and that it’s the most powerful tool we have for putting children on pathways to success," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “I am proud to declare July 10th as Literacy Day in Boston and appreciate the work of the International Literacy Association and Reach Out and Read in helping advance literacy in our city."

“Literacy is a fundamental right of every individual,” said Stephen Sye, associate executive director, International Literacy Association. “We hope that Literacy Day in Boston calls attention to the transformative work that the more than 1,300 literacy educators and ILA members in Massachusetts are doing to advance that right for all.”

“Reach Out and Read commends Mayor Walsh for committing a day for us all to focus on the importance of literacy as a foundational element of successful lives,” said Brian Gallagher, executive director, Reach Out and Read. “The books that ILA donates will help the families we serve, many of whom have no books at home, read aloud together and engage in one the best activities that support the development of their young children.”

Members of the Boston community are invited to walk, run, or cheer on July 10th at the Steps to Advance Literacy 5K. Registration begins at 6:30 am and activities kick off at 7:00 am at the Boston Common. Register today at www.stepstoadvanceliteracy5k.com.