Summary: Abilene Southwest Rotary CLub is parterning with the Abil;ene Cultural Affairs counsel to provide a train for children
The Abilene Cultural Affairs Counsel has been renting a children's train for several years to use with children to show them children's sculptures in downtown Abilene since we have been designated as the Children's Story Book Capital of Texas by the State Legislature.They now want to purchase this train which costs a total of $47,500 and they will use this train with children all year. Every time they use the train it is full the entire time they are using it. Kids love it.By owning the train they will be able to use it all the time. This will stimulate the children to read story books and show them the storybook sculptures we have in the park and all over downtown Abilene. This train project is a part of an overall literacy project to encourage kids to read.Our club has already participated by planting trees in the wonderful new children's sculpture park with many of the story book characters in it. They want to purchase the train now so that they will use it starting immediately in the sculpture garden including a major June week long event as well as at other downtown locations for kids.Our club is involved with children's literacy by giving 3rd grade students in one school dictionaries, we give a children's book each week in honor of our club speaker to the Abilene Library, we will be participating in the train project with Rotarians helping and encouraging children to read. We currently have two members of our Rotary Club who read each week to children. This project just adds to our club member's participation with our club 's emphasis being youth and helping with literacy in many ways in our city.Club members are currently visiting the sculpture gardens and talking with people and children about the gardens and sculptures.We will have publicity from our club in the press which will also promote the train and gardens. This will be part of our effort in public awareness to demonstrate that we in Rotary are People of Action.We are partnering with 3 other well respected groups in Abilene, including a foundation that donated the majority of the funds for the sculpture gardens, , a bank and another business and our participation is a great example how we can use our limited funds to work on a project costing much more than we alone would be able to do.
Completed
This project is "Completed". This means the project has been implemented and the report was accepted by the district leadership. The project will stay listed on this website as a testimony of the achievements of the project partners.
