United Way of Central Georgia is proud to announce that The First Lady of Georgia, Sandra Deal, will speak at their 2015 Campaign Kickoff Luncheon scheduled for September 1st at Mercer University’s Hawkins Arena.
 
“We are excited to have The First Lady of Georgia attending our Campaign Kickoff Luncheon,” stated George McCanless, President and CEO of the United Way of Central Georgia. “First Lady Sandra Deal’s lifelong dedication to early childhood education and her commitment to increasing the percentage of children reading at grade level by the completion of third grade made her an ideal choice as our Guest Speaker.”
 
United Way of Central Georgia’s Read2Succeed initiative focuses on the importance of early childhood development and grade level reading. Fourth grade marks the point where school curriculums shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”  Children who are not reading at grade level often struggle in the later grades and are more likely to drop out of high school. Together United Way and community partners are working to move the needle on reading proficiency by focusing on three critical issues: school readiness, school attendance and summer learning.
 
United Way of Central Georgia will host its 2015 Campaign Kickoff Luncheon on Tuesday, September 1st at Mercer University’s Hawkins Arena. The event is open to the public and seating is limited. Tickets to the luncheon are $15 each or a table of 10 is $150.  Please register online at www.unitedwaycg.org.