Sandy’s Summer Splash Into Reading
Wausau Area’s summer reading program & literacy fundraiser
June 8 through July 19, 2025
For every minute your child reads, local sponsors donate 1 penny to local literacy. Participate in the program any time from June 8 until July 19 to help raise funds and become eligible for prizes.
2025 Pledge Sponsors
These generous sponsors pledged a combined total of $5,675* toward local literacy initiatives! How much will kids raise in 2025?
*Business Sponsor Pledges:
Connexus Association – $2,000 – TWO PENNIES PER MINUTE
PENNY PER MINUTE SPONSORS:
Office Enterprises, Inc. – $750 | Inspired by Design Interiors – $500 | Westfal Staffing – $300 | Findorff – $300 | Young’s Remodeling – $300 | JARP – $250 | Wausau Tax & Accounting – $250 | Advantage Insurance Services – $225 | SK Design – $200 | Astia Health – $200 | Mosinee Family Dental – $100
*Individual Pledges:
Tara Belle – $200 | Jeff Mills – $100
2025 Prizes
Participate any time Sunday, June 8 through Saturday, July 19 to raise money for local literacy and become eligible for prizes…
Winners will be announced at the
Book Fair
Friday, August 1
Wausau Barnes & Noble
226810 Rib Mountain Dr
Wausau, WI 54401
Announcements 11:00 – 11:30am
~ Prizes ~
~ Goody Bags for the first 30 announcements attendees ~
Bring Your Friends and Family to the Book Fair!
The public is welcome to help us further support local literacy with the purchase of store items!*
A percentage of every purchase made at the Wausau Barnes & Noble on Friday, August 1 will fund local literacy programs. Tell the cashier you’re supporting the Book Fair upon checkout for purchases to be included.
*Does not include Starbucks
LITERACY PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES
Wausau Early Birds Rotary Club Reading to Go Program
The Wausau Early Birds Rotary Club Reading to Go program is a group of caring Rotary members who teach early literacy strategies in collaboration with Wausau School District, D.C. Everest School District and Newman Catholic Schools.
McLit – Marathon County Literacy Council
McLit Mission: Improving quality of life through literacy
McLit Vision: To be an organization that provides educational information and resources to everyone through the promotion of literacy programs, and support those in need by mentoring, tutoring, teaching, and coaching.
McLit tutors find themselves addressing our community’s growing ESL (English as a second language) tutoring needs.
BENEFITS OF FUNDING LOCAL LITERACY
Local literacy initiatives help the people in our own community reduce poverty, improve health, reduce the probability of incarceration and become upwardly mobile!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
First, register your child (ages 6-12 eligible)
Then, keep track of the minutes they read every week from June 8 to July 19 using this helpful Reading Log Tool.
At the end of each week, submit reading totals online.
Each participant gets a chance to win the GRAND PRIZE DRAWING! The TOP 3 READERS and WEEKLY READING WARRIOR will be awarded special prizes!
WHAT KIND OF READING MATERIAL COUNTS?
Picture books, chapter books, magazines, graphic novels, the newspaper, dictionary, scientific dissertations…anything you read! Also feel free to include time you spend listening to audiobooks.
Winners will be revealed at the
Book Fair
Friday, August 1, 2025
Wausau Barnes & Noble
226810 Rib Mountain Dr
Wausau, WI 54401
Announcements 11:00 – 11:30am
~ Prizes ~
~ Goody Bags for the first 30 announcements attendees ~
Bring Your Friends and Family to the Book Fair!
The public is welcome to help us further support local literacy with the purchase of store items!*
A percentage of every purchase made at the Wausau Barnes & Noble on Friday, August 1 will fund local literacy programs. Tell the cashier you’re supporting the Book Fair upon checkout for purchases to be included.
*Does not include Starbucks
Who’s Sandy?
~ From the event organizer and author-illustrator, Jessica Kopecky
Sandy is the main character of Secret of the Starflower: Rainbow of Spectra, an award-winning, full-color children’s chapter book I published in the summer of 2021. Parents gave feedback that the story engaged their reluctant readers. The following summer I created a yearly reading program to further incentivize young readers and boost literacy. In 2025, the event partnered with the Wausau Early Birds Rotary Club.
