Airmen volunteer with Read Across the Globe, promote worldwide literacy

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erin O'Shea
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Approximately 50 active-duty and civilian personnel from RAFs Lakenheath and Mildenhall volunteered their time participating in an event to promote literacy amongst school-aged children.

The world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, Points of Light, teamed up with the American Red Cross to spread literacy across the U.S. and various overseas locations by participating in the Read Across the Globe event.

The two organizations set a goal to gain a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. To accomplish this feat, the event volunteers would need to read to 238,000 children over a 24-hour time period.

"There are two main purposes of the event," said Regan Jefferson, an American Red Cross Regional Program Specialist. "Our goals are to promote literacy amongst children and to demonstrate the power of volunteering and coming together as a community."

The same book was read to both the Intermediate and Elementary Schools on Royal Air Force Lakenheath. There were 12 reading sessions required to last 30 minutes each, in order to qualify.

"Each reading session had to have five volunteers,"said Jefferson. "A timer, reader, witness, a videographer and photographer and someone to ensure the kids were actively listening."

"One of the things we stressed to the readers was the importance of being really animated and to ask lots of questions," Jefferson said.

Staff Sgt. Candice Oliver, 100th Force Support Squadron customer support supervisor, read to more than 70 children over the course of an hour.

"I love children," Oliver said. "It's very humbling to be a part of this because if we do make it into the Guinness Book of World Records, it creates a big impact."

According to Jefferson, even if their efforts aren't published in the Guinness Book of World Records, the event was still a great success.

The organizations are still waiting to find out if their goal was met.