The following are remarks by Executive Director Heather Gallant at the Claire’s Night reception on May 16, 2013.

“Thank you all for coming this evening, and thank you, Chrys [Peterson WTOL news anchor], for serving as our master of ceremonies tonight.

You know, I never knew Claire Rubini. Some of you here tonight had the joy of knowing her for the 10 short years of her life, and you’ve rallied around her family year after year to support them in their grief journey as they’ve built this wonderful organization.

But many of you here tonight are in the same position as me, having never known Claire, and yet here you are supporting this family and the mission of Claire’s Day. Though you never knew this feisty, beautiful, lovely, creative, bright child, you contribute in ways large and small to continue her legacy. And I think I have an idea of why.

Whether we knew Claire or not, we see her every day. Speaking for myself, I see her in the eyes of her parents, Brad and Julie. When they talk about Claire, they sometimes hold back tears. At other times, their eyes twinkle as they remember a funny story about her. Still other times, they beam with pride about all three of their children.

I’ve seen her in the faces of the 9,500 children at the 23 school visits this week as they can barely contain their excitement about seeing and meeting these extremely gifted and creative authors and illustrators that are here this evening:
Mark Crilley
Rhonda Gowler Greene
Valiska Gregory
Bruce Langton
John Manders
Kristin Nitz
Elizabeth Raum
Betsy Snyder
Lisa Wheeler
and Cinda Williams Chima.

The children are barely able to contain themselves and are leaping out of their chairs because they are SO. EXCITED. TO SEE. WHAT THE STORYTELLER. IS GOING. TO SAY. NEXT! That’s how I imagine Claire would have felt if she was sitting in that crowd today.

I feel her generosity of spirit in our corporate sponsors, when they hear her story and the good that has come out of tragedy. When they decide that yes, out of all the causes that are happening in our community and in the world, our mission of inspiring a lifelong love of reading is a worthy and commendable one. Sponsors like our title sponsor for this evening’s event, Hollywood Casino. Sponsors like our title sponsor for Saturday’s festival, Lockrey Manufacturing.
Partners like the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library
WGTE
Glass City Federal Credit Union
ProMedica
Toledo Spring
both the Toledo and Maumee Rotary Clubs
the Ohio Virtual Academy
Tireman
I have to keep going, because there are so many incredible supporters this year! Like:
Signature Bank
Spoke
First Federal Bank
Little Rainey Illustration
Rehmann
The Andersons
The Toledo Blade
The University of Toledo Foundation
Ulrich Pinciotti Design Group
and UPS.

This list is astounding, and growing! And we thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your support.

I know Claire is with all of our planning committee members and Board members, many of whom are here this evening. These people work tirelessly for the better part of a year to put together the largest children’s book festival in Northwest Ohio, and they share their skills and talents, asking for very little in return. We would be a sinking ship without them.

I see Claire in the teachers and the librarians who receive the book grants from Claire’s Day, because they know that each of the books they are adding to their collections could light a spark in the children they serve every day. This year, we disseminated over $3,000 worth of books to local schools, we will give $2,500 to the Library Legacy Foundation to purchase books by local Claire’s Day authors, and we will give out about $3,300 worth of books to 421 of the most-improved readers in the region on Saturday. That’s a grand total of about $9,000 worth of books in the hands of children, children whose lives will be changed, who will be inspired by Claire’s legacy even though they did not have the opportunity to meet her.

And, finally, I see Claire in my own daughter when she brings a book to me and yells, “Sing it!” (her toddler version of “read to me, please”), or when she says, “I read this to you, Mama”, and then recites each page of her favorite book from memory. Many of us can identify with the Rubini’s unconditional love for their little reader, and we share the sorrow of their loss.

And while I can’t fathom what the Rubinis have endured over the last thirteen years in the wake of Claire’s death, and even though I didn’t know her, I can, with your help, continue to live their vision for this organization so that Claire’s legacy lives on through the children and families in this community. Together, we can inspire them to be lifelong readers.

Thank you again for coming this evening, and for your ongoing support.”

As the Claire’s Day book festival draws near, it’s important for us to reflect on the mission and founding of our organization. One of the best people to share her thoughts on the founding is Claire’s mom. The following is an essay she wrote entitled “Moving Forward”:

“We shouldn’t let our dreams stay inside our head at night…we need to make these dreams a reality.”

Yep, that’s my boy, I thought during Ian’s remarks at his high school graduation this past June.  I was in awe as he spoke.  Not just because of his leadership role as class president or the ease in which he delivered his speech.  Any mother would be proud.

Nope, my pride went much deeper than that. Here’s a kid that certainly could have gone in the other direction, my entire family right with him, following the death of his oldest sister, my oldest child, nearly thirteen years ago.  I’m grateful that he has chosen to focus on his dreams as opposed to the nightmare that we experienced when Claire died.

“Bye momma,” she said, hugging me tight.  I watched her as she walked, no, skipped, with two other moms and their daughters off to her lodging at the Girl Scout camp.  She insisted that I take my other daughter, Kyle, to her cabin, and let her go off with the other girls.  As she turned back to me, her little overnight duffle bag swaying with her, she waved and smiled. A big, huge, proud smile.  It was the last time I would see her alive.

Claire, my precocious, vibrant, spirited, funny, purple-loving little avid reader was gone. Forever.

Those that have said time heals all wounds must never have buried a child.  Yes, time has lessened the pain, but the tug on my heart remains whenever I think of her.  My throat still tightens when I speak of her.  There was a time that I could not make it through a day without crying, the littlest things getting to me. Remnants of who she was and all that she embraced surrounded me; the music she loved to sing and dance to, her books, her treasured bear collection and all things purple flooded me with memories.

Days passed, and from my own personal trail of tears I left while on daily walks, sprung a new purpose.  My dreams were to move forward in life with my loving husband and my two other children and live.  Really live.  And, in order to do so, I felt it was important to honor Claire in such a way that was true to her.  The answer came to me six months after she died.

There was an issue of Time magazine in my plane seat pocket as we traveled to Jacksonville to attend my niece’s wedding.  As I flipped through the magazine, an article about the Texas Book Festival and then-First Lady Laura Bush’s involvement struck a chord.  Reading the piece, I was impressed that the festival not only celebrated books, but championed Texas born authors.  When reading to our children at night, I thought it important that our three little ones learn about the writers and artists that had created the books. Through this regular exercise, I knew that my home state of Ohio had a wealth of talent in our own backyard.

With tears in my eyes, I turned to my husband, Brad, and said, “This is what we are going to do to honor Claire.  We’re going to create a children’s book festival.”

Thirteen years later, the festival has grown larger than we could have imagined. Families with children of all ages will gather for the 12^th annual Claire’s Day on the grounds of our local library in May.  The children squirm and squeal in delight as they watch artists recreate their book characters, or authors read from their books.  The thrill of not only meeting our special guests, but having them personally sign their creations for children hangs in the air throughout the day.  Children dance to the fun musical performances, and little hands keep busy making crafts tied into the themes of the featured books.

Applause can be heard from a huge tent decorated with purple balloons for very special award ceremonies. The C.A.R.E. Awards (Claire’s Awards for Reading Excellence) are given to children nominated by their principals as being the most improved readers in their schools.  The recipients very often have been diagnosed with dyslexia or other learning challenges, and rarely receive academic recognition.  The look of pride on parents’ faces as their children receive these awards is indescribable.  The pure joy on the children’s faces is even more so.

Prior to each award ceremony, my husband Brad tells the story of how during our nightly reading sessions, as Claire got older, she would correct him as his dyslexic brain misread words.  Eventually she would take the book from him, and read to him. When it is time to distribute the awards, my tall husband sits on the stage to give each child not only a certificate noting their accomplishment, but a coupon to pick out a book from the huge selection at Claire’s Day.  A book they can call their very own.

Over the years, Brad and I have met many of the parents of recipients of the C.A.R.E. Awards.  They look to us with tear-filled eyes, thanking us profusely for what we have done for their children through the recognition they receive at Claire’s Day.  “My son now reads!” they say, or, “I can’t get my daughter to put her book down!”  Claire would be so proud.

It was through this celebration and remembrance of Claire that allowed our family to grieve together.  Each of us did so in our own way, and in our own time, but we gave each other the room to cry, laugh, scream and move forward. We’ve lived through some dark days, and created some beautiful happy memories together. Claire was not with us physically in our many travels and life adventures, but there is no escaping her presence. We smile at each other as we see purple clouds at sunset, or purple wild flowers along the road side, remembering our purple-loving daughter and sister. And we are grateful that her fun-filled spirit has guided us from the depths of a nightmare to the joys of fulfilling our dreams.

We’ve certainly not allowed them only to linger in our heads at night.

You are probably familiar with the Claire’s Day book festival, but did you know that the Claire’s Day authors and illustrators also visit local schools?

For the past eight years, during the week leading up to the Claire’s Day family book festival in May, the Claire’s Day authors and illustrators visit classrooms around the region as a way to enhance the students’ literary experience. These school visits include entertaining, experiential, educational presentations and story telling that encourage students to use their imagination, enjoy literature, and to pursue reading as a regular activity. Since the authors and illustrators describe their creative writing process and the process of publishing a children’s book, students also get an understanding of how a book arrives completed in their hands. In 2012, an estimated 10,000 students participated in an author’s visit at 20 schools.

This year, the authors and illustrators will visit with students from 23 local schools, including 5 Toledo Public Schools that have not previously participated (thanks to a generous grant from the Toledo Rotary Foundation). Participating schools include:

• Toledo Public Schools: Walbridge Elementary, Beverly Elementary, Marshall Elementary, Reynolds Elementary, Keyser Elementary
• Rossford School District: Eagle Point Elementary, Indian Hills Elementary, Glenwood Elementary
• Anthony Wayne School District: Monclova Elementary
• Springfield School District: Holloway Elementary
• Northwood School District: Olney Elementary
• Perrysburg School District: Fort Meigs Elementary, Toth Elementary
• Maumee School District: Fairfield Elementary, Fort Miami Elementary, Wayne Trail Elementary
• Defiance School District: Definace Elementary School
• Swanton School District: Park Elementary
• Private and Community Schools: Bennett Venture Academy, Gesu School, Grove Patterson Academy, Queen of the Apostles, Rosary Cathedral

We can’t wait to meet your students and watch their imaginations soar with their visiting authors and illustrators!

Claire’s Award for Reading Excellence (C.A.R.E.) recognizes students who demonstrate marked improvement in their reading skills over the course of a school year. Teachers may nominate one most-improved reader from their 1-8 grade class.

Students will be honored in a ceremony at the free Claire’s Day family book festival in front of their friends, family, teachers, and school administrators on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the Maumee Branch Library, 501 River Road, Maumee, OH, 43537. In 2012, a record-breaking 370 students were honored with this award.

Awardees receive a certificate of achievement and a certificate for one free book of their choice by one of the Claire’s Day visiting authors or illustrators, with the opportunity to meet the author or illustrator and have it signed.

Nominations will be accepted at www.clairesday.org/care between March 15 – April 15, 2013.

Students will be honored in a ceremony at the free Claire’s Day family book festival in front of their friends, family, teachers, and school administrators on Saturday, May 18, 2013.

This award means the world to readers who have overcome many struggles to improve their skills. Show them that as their educator, you C.A.R.E.!

QUESTIONS? Contact Anne Cross, C.A.R.E. Awards Co-Chair, at: clairesdayschools@gmail.com

To read a heartwarming narrative on the origins of the C.A.R.E. Awards, in which Claire’s Day founder Brad Rubini recounts his struggles with dyslexia and his special reading time with daughter Claire, check out our blog post entitled, Claire’s Day: A Growing Legacy.

You’ll also find a story about one thoughtful C.A.R.E. Award recipient who gifted his free book to his favorite teacher for helping him learn to read in the article C.A.R.E. Awards Bring Out the Best in Us.

During the week of May 13-17, the Claire’s Day authors and illustrators will visit schools across Northwest Ohio. If your school is scheduled to welcome an author or illustrator, you can begin to introduce your special guest to your students by connecting their work with the following activities. Each class in your school can select a different book to use for their enrichment activities, or you can read a variety of the author’s or illustrator’s books and do different activities with each one. Let your creativity shine, and enjoy!

• Have a door-decorating contest with scenes from the author’s books the week of the author’s visit to showcase their talent.
• Assign the students to write questions or letters to the authors. Some writing prompts could include:
  • What did you like about the book?
  • What would you have changed if you were the author?
  • What parts of the book would you would have liked to know more about?
  • How do you think the author came up with the idea for this book?
  • If you were going to write your own book, what would it be about? What story would you want to tell?
• Have students read several of the author’s books and then ask the students to compare and contrast the books.Ÿ
• Invite students select one of the author’s books and write an alternative ending for it.Ÿ
• Rewrite or retell the story from the perspective of a different character in the book.
• Separate out text of a book by one of the authors or illustrators and print it in black and white on a single sheet of paper. Have the students do their own illustrations based on the story before showing them the ones from the book.
• Relate the story to its historical context. What is accurate for the time period in which the story was set? How would the story be different if it had been placed 100 years in the past? In the future?
• Reinforce a science lesson that relates to the story.
  • If there are plants or animals in the story, what more can you learn about them?
  • What role does nature or weather play in the story?
• If the story includes any music or songs, play those songs for the students. Invite them to make up their own dance moves as a team and teach them to other teams in your class.
• Invite the students to discuss the relationships between characters in the story. Which characters were friends? Which characters encountered conflicts? How did they address their conflicts? Did it work? What might they have done to solve the problem differently?

What other ideas do you have? Share them with other educators on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/clairesday.

When Park Elementary fifth grader Nathan Schock was awarded a Claire’s Award for Reading Excellence (C.A.R.E.) at Claire’s Day in May 2012, he did something unusual: he asked Claire’s Day author Brandon Marie Miller to autograph his book for his teacher, Mrs. Christine Elliott.

“Mrs. Elliott was a very kind teacher for helping me so much with my reading,” said Nathan. “I had the author sign the book for Mrs. Elliott because she was my favorite teacher. ”

The C.A.R.E Awards were created to recognize students like Nathan who demonstrate marked improvement in their reading skills. The awards are given to students at the Claire’s Day family book festival held annually at the public library in Maumee, Ohio, on the third Saturday in May. Students are presented with a special C.A.R.E. Award Certificate in front of the audience of family and friends. Each award recipient also receives a certificate to select a book to take home, written or illustrated by a participating Claire’s Day author or illustrator.

Like all C.A.R.E. award winners, Nathan was not initially a strong reader. His mother confided, “Nathan has struggled with reading since starting school. We moved him to Park Elementary for fourth grade. At that time, he was reading at a second grade level. By the end of fifth grade, he was reading at a fifth grade level.”

Mrs. Elliott knew that Nathan a perfect candidate for a C.A.R.E. “Nathan was working hard and listening to everything that both the intervention specialist and I recommended. As his skills in reading comprehension improved, he recognized it, and challenged himself to do more. He might not admit it, but he fell in love with reading. When a student works that hard, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to reward him.”

The award meant a lot to Nathan. “I thought it was special because I have had difficulty reading, so being most improved reader nominated by Mrs. Elliott felt really good.” His parents were pleased as well. “We were very proud of Nathan. [His reading] continues to improve, and the recognition for his achievement and hard work was a great ego boost for him. Kids that have difficulty reading do not get recognized for academic achievement very often. I think it is a very positive way to show that we all recognize how much work and effort they put forth to succeed at school.”

After receiving his award, Nathan knew that he wanted to choose a book for his favorite teacher, and the book he chose was an easy decision. “It was a book about George Washington by Brandon Marie Miller. I chose it because Mrs. Elliott is a social studies teacher and we had to write reports about people from history. I chose George Washington because her students could use the book for research about George Washington for their projects. I looked at all of the books available at Claire’s Day, and this one just made me think of Mrs. Elliott. I wanted to thank her, so I decided to pick a social studies/history book for her.”

Nathan was thrilled to meet Claire’s Day Author, Brandon Marie Miller. “It was exciting to meet the author. I have never met an author face to face before. I had only been in large groups during author visits at my school so it was interesting meeting her face to face. I asked the author to sign the book to – ‘Mrs. Elliott, the best teacher ever.’”

Mrs. Elliott was surprised and deeply moved to receive the signed book from Nathan. “She cried!” said Nathan. “I can laugh now,” chuckled Mrs. Elliott. “But Nathan is correct. I cried. I was really touched. I will always treasure Nathan’s kindness and thoughtfulness.”

Nathan’s mother was very proud of her son’s display of gratitude, and felt Mrs. Elliott was deserving of this recognition. “I had the opportunity to substitute teach in a class with Mrs. Elliott and she works very well with her students. She is encouraging, patient, and she has a great sense of humor that puts her students at ease and creates an awesome environment for teaching. If any teacher deserves to be recognized the way Nathan did for her, it is Mrs. Elliott. I think I cried when Mrs. Elliott did!”

Mrs. Elliott has been a supporter of Claire’s Day for many years, and has found the program helps her to maintain perspective as a teacher. “I think Claire’s Day is an exceptionally wonderful program,” she said. “As teachers, many times we worry about teaching them how to read, and forget to teach or show them to love reading. I can vividly remember my elementary teachers reading out loud to me, and how I could get lost in my imagination! I could’ve listened to them for hours!”

“It’s fun to see a kid get lost in a good book. Claire’s Day gives educators a day that is just about celebrating the art of being an author. It’s not about a test score, but about the hard work and dedication a student puts in to their personal best. Students get an opportunity to meet authors, see their work, and hear their stories. It is a priceless experience.”

The 12th Annual Claire’s Day is scheduled May 18, 2013. Elementary and middle school principals may nominate one child from each class, each grade level. To nominate a student from your school, contact schools@clairesday.org.

Black Friday? Try Purple Thursday, a bookfair to support Claire’s Day! Visit Barnes & Noble on December 13 to purchase gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list. A portion of the sales by our supporters will be given to Claire’s Day, and 100% of the proceeds we receive will go directly back to our programming, such as providing books to C.A.R.E. award recipients. You’ll finish up your holiday shopping while supporting a cause that you hold dear.

Claire’s Day guest author Paul Orshoski will give a live reading and book signing starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble on Monroe Street in Toledo. Claire’s Day volunteers will provide gift wrapping.

Simply bring a copy of the bookfair voucher, which can be downloaded on our website, to indicate that you’re making a purchase for Claire’s Day.

If you can’t make it to the Toledo store, you can present your voucher at any Barnes and Noble location to help support Claire’s Day. If you can’t make it to a store in person, you can shop online at bn.com/bookfairs between December 13 – 18, 2012, by entering Bookfair ID 10944296 at checkout.

Many thanks to Barnes and Noble for giving us this opportunity, and thank you for your support of Claire’s Day.

On Monday, November 12, thirty school representatives from Toledo, Maumee, and Perrysburg met at the Main branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library to select an author or illustrator to visit their school as a part of the Claire’s Day Author Visit program.

The Author Visit program has been in place for eight years. Each May, during the week leading up to the Claire’s Day family book festival, the Claire’s Day authors and illustrators visit classrooms around the region as a way to enhance the studentsʼ literary experience. These school visits include entertaining, experiential, educational presentations and story telling that encourage students to use their imagination, enjoy literature, and to pursue reading as a regular activity. Since the authors and illustrators describe their creative writing process and the process of publishing a childrenʼs book, students also get an understanding of how a book arrives completed in their hands. In 2012, an estimated 10,000 students participated in an authorʼs visit at 20 schools.

Claire’s Day, Inc., strives to obtain a paid school visit for every participating author and illustrator on Friday, May 17, 2013, the day prior to Claire’s Day. Once all Friday school visits are selected, earlier slots in the week can be filled, based on author and illustrator availability. Schools are responsible for the cost of the authors’ honorarium, while Claire’s Day covers other expenses. In partnership with Barnes and Noble, Claire’s Day also offers twenty grants of either $200 cash to help defray the cost of the visit or $300 in books.

The Author Selection Gala is Claire’s Day’s method of facilitating a fair way for schools to book an author. Schools were encouraged to send up to three representatives, and at the reception each received an entry in the author/illustrator drawing. School entries were randomly drawn by Claire’s Day volunteer Cindy Zamora, read aloud by Executive Director Heather Gallant, and the school representatives had a few moments select their author or illustrator. As the authors and illustrators are booked, the pool of choices is reduced. Luckily, all of the author and illustrator choices are great!

If you weren’t able to make it to the Gala but are interested in having an author visit, you’re in luck! While all of the Friday visits are booked for Friday, May 17, we do still have some author visits available for schools earlier in that week. There are also several grants still available for schools. Contact us at schools@clairesday.org for more information!

Click here for more information about the author visits.

Click here to read more about the 2013 Claire’s Day authors and illustrators.

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It is not every day that a person stumbles across a job perfectly suited for one’s background and interests. The moment I came across the job description for the Claire’s Day Executive Director position, I paused. In that moment, I saw myself in the position. I sensed the essence of the organization and the individuals who are its lifeblood. I promptly submitted my application materials, and was honored and humbled when the Board of Trustees invited me to join this organization in September.

 

My love of books and reading were nurtured from a very young age. My parents are both educators, and although mine were humble beginnings, I recall that there were always books waiting for my four siblings and me on our birthdays and on holidays. Summer days often started at our small town’s library, where we sifted through the endless aisles, collecting stacks of books too big for us to carry. Lazy summer afternoons were spent in our front yard laying under (or perched in!) a tree with a sweating cup of Kool-Aide in one hand, a well-loved book in the other. One of my first jobs was in that library, helping to craft their children’s summer reading program and stacking books up and down those familiar aisles.

My thirst for learning also led me to a new passion: the development of nonprofits working in the field of education. Locally, I’ve worked at Bowling Green State University, where I shaped a student community service program and engaged alumni and friends of BGSU. In Massachusetts, I served on the senior management team of Open Circle, a nationally recognized social and emotional learning program for elementary schools. I lived on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., where I developed a community disaster education program for a chapter of the American Red Cross and encouraged international teenagers to explore diplomacy and leadership at the Global Young Leaders Conference. Each of my life’s experiences has prepared me, in ways large and small, for the next chapter of my journey – the one that includes Claire’s Day – and I couldn’t be happier.

I deeply admire the Rubini family’s commitment to celebrating Claire Lynsey Rubini in such a beautiful and generous way. They continue to transform an unimaginable personal tragedy into a source of joy and pride for the Northwest Ohio community. Furthermore, the leaders, volunteers, partners, and supporters of Claire’s Day have inspired countless children to become lifelong readers, which truly gives them a leg-up in our knowledge-driven world.

Of course, we still have work to do. Together, we can reach struggling readers and provide them with an opportunity to enhance their love of literature and learning. Together, we will shepherd Claire’s Day into its next phase of growth. Together, we continue to celebrate life, love, literature, and the legacy of Claire Lynsey Rubini.

On Monday, November 12, 2012, school representatives will gather in the children’s section of the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library to participate in a lottery that determines which of these authors and illustrators will visit their school in the spring. For more information on the Author Selection Gala, click here.

As a part of its Authors School Visit program, Claireʼs Day connects authors and illustrators to local schools as a way to enhance students’ literary experience. These school visits include entertaining, experiential, educational presentations and storytelling that encourage students to use their imaginations, enjoy literature, and pursue reading as a regular activity. Since the authors and illustrators describe their creative writing process and the process of publishing a children’s book, students also get an understanding of how a book arrives completed in their hands.

Authors and illustrators participating in the Claire’s Day free family book festival include: Rhonda Gowler Greene, Lisa Wheeler, Marilyn Weymouth Seguin, Elizabeth Raum, Mark Crilley, Cinda Williams Chima, Bruce Langton, John Manders, Betsy Snyder, Kristin Wolden Nitz, and Valiska Gregory. Get to know each author and illustrator on our website.

See you at the Gala!