Reading Capital of the World

Rotary throws down challenge (Clubs battle for reading supremacy)

By: Angie Thompson

Tifton Gazette

10/12/2000

The race is on in all of Tift County to reach 1,000,000 Accelerated Reader points before Nov. 15. But two local civic clubs are in a heated race of their own.

The Tifton Rotary Club has issued a challenge to the Tifton Kiwanis Club to a “No-holds-barred, knockdown and drag out, to-the-death reading competition.”

William Bowen, president of the Tifton Rotary Club, said the rules are simple.

“The club with the highest percentage of members who read an accelerated read book and pass the AR test will be the winner,” Bowen said.

In case of a tie, the highest point total wins.

The president of the losing team will appear at the oppositions’s first club meeting of 2001, surrender with a white flag and issue a $100 check payable to the Tifton Tift County Library for new book purchases.

Kiwanis President Bill Keith attended the Wednesday Rotary meeting to accept the challenge.

When asked what internal stragtegies he had planned to encourage Kiwanis members to read, Keith would reveal nothing.

“We can’t dare let out our plans. I have no comment, but be sure we are prepared,” Keith said.

Members’ points from each club began accumulating Oct. 1 and will continue through Dec. 14, the last Thursday testing date.

The Tifton-Tift County Public Library is open for testing every Thursday from 5-8pm. Alternate locations include the 11 public school libraries and Tiftarea Academy’s. Those wishing to test must contact the libraries’ media directors for testing times and to make sure they have the appropriate test for the books read. Libraries have a complete list of AR tests available.

Mike Brumby of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence said the Tifton Tift County Chamber of Commerce and Abraham Baldwin College’s library are also testing sites.

The Foundation has a city-wide celebration planned for noon Nov. 15 at Tift County Stadium in honor of Tift County earning the million points. The last count on total AR points accumulated is 981,480.

Tifton’s push to become Reading Capital of the World will be featured in a Time Magazine column next week and hopes are to have Oprah Winifrey as a guest for the celebration.