It’s finally here! The 6th annual Barn Blast for children’s literacy is this Friday evening at the Lockhart-Taylor Center in Wadesboro. The doors will open at 6:00 pm. When guests arrive, the bar will be open, hors d’oeuvres will be served and bidding on the silent auctions will begin. Guests will also have an opportunity to purchase necklaces to play the “Heads or Tails” game or buy “Lady Luck” cards. The lucky winners of these games will enjoy a week at a Sugar Mountain condo or a two night stay in Asheville. Be sure to arrive at the Barn Blast in time to bid on the dozens of silent auction items that will be displayed. The “Hopalong Cassidy Silent Auction” closes at 7:00 pm; the “John Wayne Silent Auction” closes at 7:15 pm and the “Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Silent Auction” closes at 7:30 pm. A complete listing of the Barn Blast silent auction items with descriptions can be found on the Anson County Partnership for Children website (www.ansonsmartstart.org).      At 7:45 pm, Barn Blast guests will find their seats for the welcome and invocation. The live auction will begin with bids for the “VIP Table” where eight lucky guests will be served a special dinner including champagne, steaks from Rayfield’s Meat Center, potatoes au gratin from Events Catering and double chocolate cheesecake from The Forever Inn. As the live auction continues, all other Barn Blast guests will be served the delicious traditional Barn Blast fare of barbecued chicken with all the sides and dessert.      The live auction items include: Taste of Anson Package; UNC basketball autographed by Coach Roy Williams; NC State basketball autographed by Coach Mark Gottfried and the entire NC State basketball team; Sports Lover’s Dream Package; framed limited edition Ron Taylor print, “A Bowl Full”; Family Fun and Adventure Package; wall portrait on canvas and overnight at Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida; Romantic Mountain Getaway for Two; 4 roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines; Outer Banks Weekend Package; Full Chiropractic Wellness Package; 2 tickets to Masters Practice in Augusta, GA; framed watercolor by June Rollins, “The Quest” and “The Cat in the Hat” themed quilt handmade by Cynthia Little. A complete listing of the Barn Blast live auction items with descriptions can be found on the Anson

This handmade “The Cat in the Hat” themed quilt, by talented local quilter Cynthia Little, will be auctioned in the Live Auction at the Barn Blast this Friday night. Each year Cynthia creates a one of a kind design just for the Barn Blast. This quilt measures 44” by 59” and comes with a copy of the book, The Cat in the Hat.

County Partnership for Children website (www.ansonsmartstart.org.)
     The evening will also include the “Sponsor a Child” bidding when guests will have the opportunity to sponsor children in Anson County to receive Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books for the next year. Last year Barn Blast guests sponsored over 150 children. The Partnership pays approximately $35.00 per child per year and there are currently 1035 children in Anson County registered. Won’t you help bring the joy of reading into a child’s live? Following the live auction, Barn Blast guests will be invited to remain and dance until midnight with country, beach and popular music provided by Leon Gatewood.      A limited supply of Barn Blast tickets are still available for $45.00 each by calling the Anson County Partnership for Children at 704 694-4036 or coming by the Partnership offices at 117 South Greene Street, Wadesboro.

     Getting books from the doctor will soon be a routine part of regular pediatric checkups at Anson Pediatrics and Wadesboro Family Medicine medical practices in Anson County. The Anson County Partnership for Children has received a grant from the NC Partnership for Children to partner with Reach Out and Read® to make books and literacy guidance a reality for children and families in Anson County. The new Reach Out and Read clinical locations join more than 4,779 programs nationwide that are preparing America’s youngest children to succeed in school.
     Anson County Partnership for Children Executive Director Elaine B. Scarborough says the Partnership has always included a focus on developing early literacy skills. Reach Out and Read will be added to the other children’s literacy programs currently provided by the Partnership including the Raising a Reader Book Bag Program, as well as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and numerous book distributions at community events in Anson County. Mrs. Scarborough says, “The grant from the NC Partnership for Children will support Reach Out and Read for the first six months. We will rely on funds raised at our annual Barn Blast fundraiser to support Reach Out and Read beyond the grant period.”
     The Reach Out Read Program was chosen because it is proven to be successful in increasing the time that families read to young children. Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read's model into regular pediatric checkups by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally-appropriate books to children. The program begins at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. Families served by the Reach Out and Read Program read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and better prepared to achieve their potential.
     The Anson County Partnership for Children is one of 14 Smart Start partnerships selected to implement Reach Out and Read. The others include Alexander County Partnership for Children, Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County, Inc., Smart Start of Davie County, Inc., Down East Partnership for Children, Duplin County Partnership for Children, Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start, Madison County Partnership for Children and Families, Inc., Randolph County Partnership for Children, Region A Partnership for

Bridget Wall is shown reading to her son Malachi Wall, age 4, in the Partnership's Early Childhood Resource Center. Literacy services to young children in Anson County will be expanded by the Reach Out and Read grant recently received by the Partnership.

Children, Rockingham County Partnership for Children, Inc., Smart Start Rowan, Inc., Children’s Council of Watauga, Inc., and Wilkes Community Partnership for Children.
     For more information, please visit Reach Out and Read's website at www.reachoutandread.org or call Shana Payne at the Anson County Partnership for Children at 704 694-4036.