Sandy’s Summer Splash Into Reading
Wausau Area’s summer reading program & literacy fundraiser
June 7 through Saturday, July 18 2026
FOR KIDS AGES 6-12
For every minute your child reads, local sponsors donate 1 penny to local literacy. Participate in the program any time from June 7 until July 18 to help raise funds and become eligible for prizes.
2026 Pledge Sponsors
These generous sponsors pledged a combined total of $2,525* toward local literacy! How much will kids raise in 2026?
*Business Sponsor Pledges:
Office Enterprises, Inc. – $750 | Inspired by Design Interiors – $500 | Findorff – $300 | Young’s Remodeling – $300 | Wausau Tax & Accounting – $250 | Advantage Insurance Services – $225 | SK Design – $200
2026 Prizes
Kids ages 6-12 can participate any time Sunday, June 7 through Saturday, July 18 to raise money for local literacy and become eligible for prizes…
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.
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 7 to July 18. 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
Award Ceremony
Friday, July 31, 2026
Location TBD
Announcements 11:00 – 11:30am
~ Prizes ~
~ Goody Bags for the first 30 announcements attendees ~
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.
