The California Scholarship Federation (CSF) believes three hours of service at the Children’s Hospital Central California (Valley Children’s Hospital) helped raise morale in the Children’s Literacy Fair on March 28.

?It was good to bring the students to a hospital and have them look beyond appearances,? adviser Ellen King said. ?Although only three out of the five groups actually got to read and have contact with the kids I was really glad we did this and plan to buy more books next time.?

The local literacy fair joined with national organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts who sponsor The Big Read each year.

Students met outside the main entrance of the hospital at 8:45 A.M., and organized the workstations. From 9 A.M.-12 P.M., each patient had an age appropriate book, of their choice, read to them and took the book home afterwards. The Fresno event is one of hundreds of literacy fairs organized annually across the country.

?It was our group and about 25 students from Buchanan High School,? Greg Kilgore, ?07 said. ?Even though it was hard to keep the kids? attention it felt so good to read to them and give them books in return for the time they spent with us.?

Although the whole club did not attend, 15 students visited and read to patients. During the three-hour duration, volunteers were stationed at one of several locations throughout the hospital and read to numerous children in their region.

?My group was in the play center and got to play some games with the kids,? Tonia Keys-Bramlett, ?09, said. ?We played ?Don?t Wake Daddy? and especially one of the boys really liked it.?

Although this was the first year members from this campus helped with the Literacy Fair, CSF raised $6,700 for the Children’s Hospital in the Christmas fundraiser. Members greeted people walking Christmas Tree Lane and collected donations on the two-mile stretch of houses on Dec. 2, 2006.

?After we participated in Children’s Hospital during on Christmas Tree Lane the CSF leaders decided that we wanted to stay with the Hospital,? CSF President Kristen Amerine, ?07, said. ?My mom also works at the hospital and helps out with the literacy program.?

Students helping in the fair received complete community service credit for the entire semester.

?I really enjoyed spending some time with these kids,? Adam Casuga, ?09, said. ?By reading to them it was like we were taking care of them.?

After reading and conversing with the patients, the hospital provided lunch for the volunteers from 12-1 P.M. Students caravanned back to campus and returned during the middle of seventh period at 1:30 P.M.