Senator John W. Mannion Secures Additional $10,000for the Light a Candle Literacy Parade and Children's Book Festival

SYRACUSE, NY – Senator John W. Mannion today announced $10,000 in state funding for the Light a Candle Literacy Parade. Senator Mannion has secured $20,000 for the literacy parade and festival since taking office and helped revive it last year after a years-long hiatus. Senator Mannion marched in the parade and toured the festival. 

Senator John W. Mannion (SD-50) said, “The Light a Candle for Literacy Parade and Children’s Book Festival opens the wonderful world of reading to the youth of Central New York and I am proud to have secured $20,000 since taking office to help bring back this important event for another year.”

Edward Kochian, Light a Candle for Literacy Parade and Children’s Book Festival Committee Member said, “Senator Mannion’s early commitment to this important event in support of reading and literacy has been critical.  The funding provided enables us to unleash the power of reading to promote school success and much more.  This is an investment in our future.”

The Light a Candle for Literacy Parade and Children’s Book Festival included a celebratory procession, followed by a festival designed to promote literacy and community. The event featured local children’s book authors and illustrators.

The festival is a reboot of the annual celebration that took place from 2005 to 2015 with the continued purpose of increasing awareness of the importance of literacy, counteract the summer reading loss in children, and help parents understand the importance of reading to their children daily.

Light a Candle for Literacy (LACFL) is a volunteer-run after-school and summer literacy program founded by longtime Southside community and literacy advocate, Geneva Hayden.  Based on Syracuse’s Southside in the Brighton neighborhood, LACFL serves school-age youth in Kindergarten-5th grade. 

For more information, please visit: www.lightacandleforliteracy.org.   

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