By Renee Worthing 

Register Reporter 

   When participants in the seventh annual Beat the Winter Blues family literacy event took a break from literacy activities to get some exercise, Leaders Club members led them in the “YMCA” dance. Even Sanford Mainers’ mascot Broose D’Moose threw his arms in the air to form the letter “Y.”

   About 50 local children participated in the Literacy Volunteers of Sanford’s annual literacy event Feb. 19 at the Knights of Columbus hall in Sanford.

   The three-hour event featured healthy snacks, book readings, literacy building games, book give-aways and Olympic-style  relay races.

   Literacy Volunteers of Sanford President Geoff Titherington said he was pleased with the turnout.

   “We spread out the time so it’s not so crowded at the tables,” he said.

   Titherington said without long lines at the tables, kids seemed more relaxed playing the games.

   Last year the activities were timed and the children rotated through the activity tables and games. This year, each child was given a colored Beat the Winter Blues team T-shirt. Each time they played a game at one of the many activity tables, they were given a token to place in a colored bucket that corresponded with their T-shirt color. At the end of the evening, the team with the most tokens in its bucket won a small trophy.

   “We decided to do an Olympic theme because it’s more interactive,” Literacy Volunteers of Sanford Executive Director Amy Safford said. “Every participant gets a medal.”

   The games included sight-word bingo and a game in which participants were required to supply the missing letter in a three-letter word.

   In one corner of the hall, a literacy volunteer read a book while an image of each page was displayed on a screen so the children could follow along.

   The children also had the opportunity to play team games, such as relay races.

   Tess Noble, 5, of Sanford, struggled to keep a large pink balloon between her knees. Broose D’Moose tried to lend a hand, but eventually, Tess was given a smaller balloon, enabling her to complete her leg of the relay race.

   October Silva, 2, didn’t bother trying to hold a balloon between her knees. Instead, she gripped her balloon in her hands as she raced to her teammates.

   Amy Safford said the event was “going great” and said many parents inquired about the services offered by the Literacy Volunteers of Sanford, including one-on-one tutoring in reading and math, assistance with English as a second language and computer skills.  

   Titherington said he appreciated the help from the Knights of Columbus.

   “They are really great to work with,” he said.

To contact Renee Worthing, email news@intheregister.com or 282-4337 ext. 240