KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Literacy Coalition’s major fundraiser, the Vineyard Run for Literacy, is right around the corner, on Sunday, Oct. 13, at Steele Wines in Kelseyville.

“A special medal was designed for our 30th annual event,” said Lake County Literacy Coalition Vice President Ginny Cholez. “It will be awarded to all first, second and third place finishers in the 5K and 10K events, in male and female age divisions ranging from youth through 70+.”

The walk and runs begin at 9 a.m.

Early registration for the Vineyard Run is strongly encouraged. Event fees are lower, and commemorative T-shirts are only available by pre-order. None will be sold the day of the event.

Register online at https://runsignup.com/, contact the Literacy office for a form, or stop by the Coalition booth at the Pear Festival.

Funds raised by the Literacy Coalition are used for books, training materials and tutor support for the Adult Literacy programs run by the Lake County Library.

The program recruits and trains volunteers from the community to work one-on-one with individuals who need help to improve basic reading, writing and comprehension skills.

“Over the years, the literacy program has trained well over 1,200 tutors who in turn helped more than 2,100 learners,” literacy coordinator Ginny DeVries said.

This tutoring is free to all Lake County residents, age 18 and older.

Many college students take advantage of this free tutoring service, especially first year students. They learn how to succeed in taking tests and improve note taking ability.

One client willing to share his story passionately wanted to be a chef. His reading and writing skills had been a problem when it came to passing the exams at the Culinary Arts class at Woodland Community College, Lake Campus in Clearlake.

He and his tutor met regularly for 17 weeks, and with that help, he received an “A” in his Culinary Arts class, and got his first job as full–time cook at Running Creek Casino.

Tutors are available to assist learners on an individual basis at the county library branches and other locations.

In addition, if an adult learner has young children, the whole family is eligible for services under the Families for Literacy Program.

Family story times are offered at the library branches and children’s educational materials are provided (at no cost to the families) to encourage a love of reading and to break the cycle of illiteracy.

For more information about the Literacy program and services, call the library literacy office at 707-263-7633.