The newsletter of the Northern Ohio Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (NOBIDA) recently featured Brad Rubini, Co-Founder of Claire’s Day. The article highlights one of the main events at Claire’s Day – the C.A.R.E Awards and what these awards truly mean to Brad. Our thanks to NOBIDA board Member Tammy Alexander for giving her permission to reprint it here.
Claire’s Day: A Growing Legacy
by Tammy Alexander, Board Member of the Northern Ohio Branch of The International Dyslexia Association
Ask most individuals with dyslexia when they are most embarrassed by their condition, and it will usually be the same answer: reading aloud in front of people. Brad Rubini recalls the discomfort of reading to an audience of one: his seven-year-old daughter Claire.
Brad was stumbling over his words when reading a book to Claire during their treasured reading time. “Stop, Dad. Let me read the book,” she offered. From then on, Claire did the reading during their father-daughter reading time. Although at the time Brad felt self-conscious, it gave him the opportunity to explain to Claire what it was like growing up dyslexic. “I used to spell my name ‘BraD’ with an uppercase B and D,” said Brad, “because I couldn’t tell the difference between lowercase b’s and d’s.”
In some ways, Claire and her father were opposites. Claire was an outstanding student and loved to read, whereas Brad did not enjoy school and read his first book only after he graduated from high school. Brad fits a typical dyslexic profile. “I was not a good student. I didn’t do homework. I sat at the back of the class, and I never put my hand up.” Although he would sometimes try to take notes in class, he couldn’t make sense of his notes afterward. He would purposefully write illegibly to mask his poor spelling. 
Brad learned how to cope with his difficulties by focusing on his strengths. Despite his academic difficulties, he had many gifts. He was very social and a natural leader in the playground. He loved playing sports, such as baseball, football, basketball, golf…even kick-the-can. Starting at ten years old, he also enjoyed pulling apart and putting back together all kinds of mechanical things, like bicycles, lawn mowers, and later, motorcycles and carburetors.
In high school, he earned D’s in English and his core classes. So, whenever he could, he would take Art, Cooking, and Shop classes, in which he did well because they were more hands-on. Also, “if I heard something I could remember it.” So he paid attention in class. He read CliffsNotes for his English novels so that he could understand what the books were about.
It was a struggle for Brad to get into college, but he was accepted to Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, provided that, in his first semester, he would take English and Math pre-college courses. He obtained a degree in Management and Marketing with an Associate’s Degree in Automotive Parts and Management. Now he is a successful small business owner and excels in sales. The advice that Brad gives to students with dyslexia is, “Learn to live with it. Find what you like to do, and do it better.”
Focusing on the positive is one of Brad’s effective coping strategies that not only got him through school, but also through one of the most anguishing events a parent can face: the death of one’s child. Brad’s beloved daughter Claire died tragically while at summer camp when she was 10 years old.
“Julie [Brad’s wife] and I knew we wanted to do something in Claire’s honor and memory,” Brad explained. Julie had an “aha” moment when flying to a family wedding in Florida. With tears in her eyes, she handed Brad a Time magazine article and said, “This is what we are going to do to honor Claire.” It was an article about then-First Lady Laura Bush and the Texas Book Festival, which features authors from Texas and raises money for the Texas library system. A year and a half later, in May 2002, Claire’s Day was born.
Claire’s Day, founded by the Rubini family, commemorates 10-year-old Claire Rubini by celebrating what she loved to do most: read. It is a free family annual book festival held the third Saturday in May at the Maumee Branch Library in Maumee, Ohio. Regional authors and illustrators are invited to participate – this year there were ten of them – giving book readings, book signings, workshops, and demonstrations about writing and illustrating books. Arts and crafts tables are also set up for the full day event.
The highlight of the day is the C.A.R.E. Awards, Claire’s Awards for Reading Excellence. The twist to the C.A.R.E. awards is that they recognize not those who excel in reading, but rather those who struggle most with it. Brad insisted upon that point, as he knew firsthand how tough it could be to read.
Each student who is awarded a C.A.R.E. award also receives a certificate to choose a book written or illustrated by one of the Claire’s Day participating authors or illustrators. In addition, the library has been given a grant of over $2,500 to purchase books for the library, featuring the next year’s Claire’s Day writers and artists. To date, Claire’s Day has donated $30,000 worth of books to the library system.
Using recommendations from teachers, principals from participating school districts submit to the Claire’s Day organization the names of students who show the greatest reading improvement. When giving out the C.A.R.E. awards, Brad is mindful that unlike him, these students have actually read a book before finishing high school. “When I give out awards, I think about Claire,” Brad explains, “and then, I think about these students. I am happy for these kids who will now probably have a good life” because they are on the road to reading. He is also touched when he sees these same students sitting under a tree on the library grounds and reading their book.
Why the Maumee Branch library? Brad, Julie, and their three kids, Claire, Kyle, and Ian, spent a lot of time at the Maumee branch library, whether for story time or just to get books to read. Claire was captivated by good books. In fact, she passed away the week that she was to pick up the much-anticipated third Harry Potter book. She was buried with that copy. Later Brad read the whole Harry Potter series… “no doubt slower than my kids did, but I couldn’t put it down.”
Claire’s Day became a resounding success from the start. In 2002, hundreds of people showed up and 33 deserving students received C.A.R.E. awards. Claire’s Day has grown dramatically over the last twelve years. During the eleventh annual Claire’s Day in May 2012, over 400 students received awards and roughly 4,000 children and adults attended. All school districts are welcome to participate, including schools that are public, private, charter, or religious. Some of the participating school districts are Defiance, Maumee, Oregon, Ottawa Hills, Perrysburg, Rossford, Springfield, Sylvania, Toledo Public, Washington Local, and numerous others. Enrolling is as easy as going to the Claire’s Day website (www. clairesday.org) and completing the nomination form.
“Claire’s Day is no longer just a day, but it’s a month,” Brad joked. There is a fundraiser evening prior to Claire’s Day, Claire’s Night, held in the children’s library at the Main library, as well as the authors’ and illustrators’ visits to hosting schools.
It is interesting to note how one life, Claire’s, has now touched so many. It was their love for her that caused her family to create Claire’s Day. In turn, after twelve years, Claire’s Day has touched thousands of students who have received awards and been acknowledged for their reading improvement. The library has received $30,000 towards new books that benefit their patrons. In addition, Claire’s Day has become a community volunteer event. The Boy Scouts of America volunteer their time to help set up and take down the tents, tables, and chairs. Plus, for the last four to five years, the Culinary Arts Program at Whitmer High School ran a concession stand at the event to raise funds for their program.
What is in the future for Claire’s Day? Last year, the organization created an executive director position to oversee daily operations and develop additional sources of financial and community support. Brad, a one-time president of the Rotary Club, would love to see the Rotary Club partnering with Claire’s Day as a project and expanding the concept to other areas in Ohio. After that, who knows? Is there an end to the chain-reaction effect that one life can have on so many?
Brad Rubini is clearly an inspiration. He has overcome great hurdles not only in school, but in life. He changed and molded a deep personal tragedy into an event that encourages and supports multitudes of individuals. As Claire’s Day keeps growing, its positive impact continues to touch more and more lives. For Brad, there is no better way to honor his daughter’s memory.
The full text of the article originally appeared here. Reprinted with permission from the author.
