“Literacy Live” Awards Luncheon

“Literacy Live” Awards Luncheon

“Literacy Live,” the annual awards luncheon for Community Literacy Centers, Inc. (CLC), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to teaching adults to read, is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27 from 11:30am – 1:00pm at the Oklahoma History Center.  The celebration will recognize community volunteer, Patti Mellow; the Sarkeys Foundation; and, CLC teacher, Shelley Lightfoot. The program will also feature guest speaker and presenter, Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins, as well as firsthand accounts from CLC students whose lives have been changed by learning to read.

Serving as both a board member and past president of CLC, Patti Mellow’s unwavering dedication to helping adults learn to read and become self-sufficient has had a profound impact on the lives of many students.  “In addition to providing encouragement and support to CLC staff and students, Patti spends time with individual student’s teaching skills such as sewing and crafting,” explained Becky O’Dell, Executive Director of CLC.  “We are so fortunate to have Patti; there simply aren't many people with her combination of high energy, skill, compassion, and dedication," said O’Dell.

CLC will also honor Sarkeys Foundation, a private, charitable foundation who has been improving the quality of lives in Oklahoma since 1962.  Founded by S. J. Sarkeys, they operate exclusively to provide support for charitable, scientific, and educational institutions. For more than 20 years, Sarkeys Foundation has been involved with Community Literacy Centers providing financial support, use of their event facilities for meetings, and hosting educational workshops and leadership forums. “The Sarkeys Foundations long term involvement and commitment to CLC has allowed us to grow our program offerings, positively impacting more adults in our community," said O’Dell.

            Since CLC’s inception in 1987, Shelley Lightfoot has played an integral part in CLC’s academic curriculum.  Having home schooled her own children, Shelley joined CLC first as an experienced teacher inspiring hope and encouragement among the many adults desiring to learn to read. After witnessing the number of students with learning disabilities, Shelley re-wrote the training curriculum to include the varying levels of educational needs. In addition, Shelley later accepted the role as educational coordinator of the many programs CLC offers.  “Shelley's contributions to CLC have been astonishing, and her undying commitment to teaching adults to read has given many students a second chance at life,” stated O’Dell.

To find out more about annual corporate and donor sponsorships, reserve a table or purchase individual tickets to Literacy Live, contact Becky O’Dell, CLC Executive Director, at (405) 524-7323.  

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