LYNN — Girls Inc. has been selected as the recipient of the 10th annual Excellence in Literacy Leadership Award, given by the Celebrate Literacy Day committee.
Selected from a pool of five candidates, first-time award recipient Girls Inc. will receive 85 percent of funds raised at the Celebrate Literacy Day event, which will be held on Sept. 1 at the Lynn Museum.
Celebrate Literacy Day committee Chair Saritin Rizzuto said the board hosts a big event every year to raise money for the selected nonprofit. The recipient changes annually, she added.
Nonprofit representatives are interviewed by the planning committee before a recipient is chosen. The choice was particularly difficult this year, Rizzuto said.
“It was a very tough choice, but Girls Inc. stood out,” Rizzuto said. “Everything about this organization met the criteria. They go above and beyond for what they do specifically for girls and women and literacy.”
Girls Inc. Executive Director Deb Ansourlian said her organization was grateful to receive the award, which will go toward their literacy program for their elementary-aged girls.
“Literacy is really important for the success of the girls, especially after the year we’ve just had,” Ansourlian said. “It will really help support that program with new resources.”
Ansourlian said the award funding they will receive will also help with the planned expansion of the Girls Inc. library.
The Celebrate Literacy Day committee began 10 years ago when the nonprofit Operation Bootstrap, now known as Pathways, reached out to Rizzuto about matching a previous donation.
Rizzuto said she organized a fundraiser for Operation Bootstrap, and it was so successful that she said she wanted to branch out to help more organizations in the community.
The committee now consists of multiple women including Rizzuto, Wendy Joseph, Gina O’Toole, Danielle Sonia, Diana Moreno, Natasha Megie-Maddrey and Mikki Wilson.
The committee awards local nonprofits that promote literacy and education, and also awards $500 to two individuals who can then give that money to a nonprofit of their choice. The two individuals chosen for the award will be announced next week.
The committee said it was planning to expand beyond Lynn and hopes to work with nonprofits in Salem next year. The Celebrate Literacy Day committee is the North Shore group that is part of UNESCO’s Education for All nonprofit initiative.
The Celebrate Literacy Day fundraiser will include music, food and drinks, and will be held outside the museum’s courtyard. The event is open to the public and tickets will be available for purchase in the coming weeks on the committee’s website at www.celebrateliteracyday.org.
