10th Annual Read Across America Recap
On Thursday, April 23, The Literacy Cooperative welcomed supporters, partners, and community leaders to the 10th Annual Read Across America Celebration at Cuyahoga Community College’s Jerry Sue Thornton Center.
This year’s event marked two meaningful milestones: 10 years of the Read Across America Celebration and 20 years of The Literacy Cooperative’s leadership in advancing literacy across Cuyahoga County. Together, these anniversaries reflect what is possible when a community invests in opportunity, education, and lifelong learning.
The evening began with networking, appetizers, and a look back at a decade of impact. During cocktail hour, guests mingled and viewed testimonials from families, partners, and past celebrations.
President and CEO Robert Paponetti opened the program with a message about one thing we can do to improve educational outcome… improve kindergarten readiness. And, one thing we can do to improve kindergarten readiness is to enroll every child under the age of five in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program. He shared kindergarten readiness statistics and their relationship to third-grade reading proficiency.
Bob then introduced a moving video featuring local families, including board member, Dr. Monique Katsuki, and the Reid Family, whose children benefit directly from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Cuyahoga County. Their stories were a powerful reminder that access to books in the earliest years can shape a child’s entire future.
A highlight of the evening was a fireside conversation led by Dan Moulthrop, CEO of The City Club of Cleveland, with Randell McShepard, Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Talent Officer at RPM International. The two explored how literacy connects to education, workforce readiness, and long-term community success, returning to a simple truth: literacy is foundational to every opportunity that follows.
McShepard shared a personal reflection on the impact of the World Book Encyclopedia during his childhood. Having access to those books made him feel knowledgeable and powerful, opening his world to information beyond what his peers experienced. That early exposure sparked a lasting love of reading, writing, and language, shaping his path into grant writing and the leadership role he holds today.
“Literacy is the key that opens so many doors. It definitely happened for me, and I’ve seen it happen for so many people in our community. That’s why The Literacy Cooperative’s work is so important,” said McShepard.
During the traditional paddle raise, supporters contributed more than $61,000 to help children and families across Cuyahoga County. It was a significant increase from last year’s $42,000, showing growing momentum and belief in this mission.
Before presenting the 5th annual Kurt Karakul Literacy Award, Kurt Karakul shared a personal story about the impact of Imagination Library on his own family. Guests watched a video of his grandchild, Oliver, first as an infant babbling with a board book, then as a five year old confidently reading Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come, the final book children receive in the program. The moment captured the full journey of early literacy and its lasting impact.
The evening also honored Lake Erie Ink as the recipient of the 5th Kurt Karakul Literacy Award for its outstanding work advancing youth literacy, creativity, and self-expression across our community.
The Literacy Cooperative extends sincere gratitude to Randell McShepard, Dan Moulthrop, our generous sponsors—especially Cleveland Clinic, PNC, and Cuyahoga Community College—Kurt Karakul, Lake Erie Ink, our Board of Trustees, and our dedicated staff and volunteers who make this event and our mission possible.
