Claire’s Day Founders Receive Bridge Award
Julie and Brad Rubini were named recipients of the 2010 Hometown Hero Bridge Award for their work in creating Claire’s Day, a reading festival that brings authors and illustrators of books for children and teens to the Maumee Branch Library each May. The event was created in memory of their daughter Claire, who died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition in 2000. The event draws thousands of visitors and hundreds of local students receive awards for their achievements in reading.
A letter from First Lady Laura Bush
As a former public school teacher and librarian, and the honorary chairman of the Texas Book Festival, Laura Bush has been a tireless advocate of children’s literacy. It was therefore a great honor to receive a personal letter of support from the former First Lady in October of 2001.
Julie first learned about the Texas Book Festival in an article in a Time magazine tucked in her plane seat pocket while traveling to a family wedding six months after her young daughter’s passing in 2000. The story inspired Julie, her husband Brad to form Claire’s Day Inc. to honor their daughter.
Julie was incredibly touched by the then-First Lady’s correspondence with her regarding the tribute that she and Brad founded, and supported by an awesome volunteer committee.
We hope the former First Lady will join us some day to see what her work inspired!
