United Way of Western Connecticut (UWWC) is proud to announce the
Danbury Westerners “Salute to Imagination Library” event taking place on July 25, 2014 when the Westerners play
the Ocean State Waves at 6:30 pm in Rogers Park. Families will enjoy a night out at the ball game while helping to
raise funds for Imagination Library. Adult tickets are $5 and kids under 5 are free. All ticket proceeds purchased
through UWWC will benefit the Imagination Library.
Imagination Library mails a high-quality, age-appropriate book each month to children under 5 who reside in
Bethel, Bridgewater, Danbury, Kent, Newtown, New Fairfield, New Milford, and Stamford – all at no cost to the
family. With the widest achievement gap in the country, nearly half of Connecticut’s children enter kindergarten
unprepared. This achievement gap can compound with every passing year, leading children to struggle in school
and life beyond. In 2008, UWWC teamed up with The Dollywood Foundation to provide books to preschoolers
across Western Connecticut through Imagination Library. The goal of this program is to ensure that all children
(from birth to age 5) in the region — regardless of their socio-economic status — have access to quality reading
materials and to encourage parents and caregivers to read with their children.
UWWC has helped to mail over 162,000 free books to 7,900 young children in Western Connecticut, yet even so,
there are over 3,000 eligible children from Danbury who are not yet enrolled. Join us at the ballpark this Friday so
that more children can benefit from Imagination Library. The Danbury Children’s Chorus will sing the national
anthem, and all children will receive a prize. Enter the game day raffle to win a children’s book signed by Rick
Cerrone, formerly of the New York Yankees. A $33 donation sponsors a child for a year of Imagination Library
books. The first ten people to sponsor a child will receive a special children’s book signed by a Westerner player.
Together, we can ensure that every child enters kindergarten ready to learn and ultimately grows up loving to read.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 203-792-5330 ext. 229 or by emailing monet.borione@uwwesternct.org.