OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Black Stallion Reading Project has had a presence in Marion County Public Schools for the past six years, and the Ocala Horse Alliance will be holding a fundraising campaign, Leg Up for Literacy, for it on Thursday, Nov. 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Conway Arabians in Micanopy.
“I hope what people in the community realize is that literacy is a community function and responsibility, and the horse industry has really stepped up,” said Ellie Trueman, Ocala Horse Alliance president. “I think we realize that these kids are the future of the horse industry. They’re going to fill jobs in the horse industry, hopefully a lot of them will ride and get involved with horses. There are all these correlations between a community, literacy levels, good health and good jobs for people.”
The Ocala Horse Alliance buys about 3,400 books for children in the fourth grade in Marion County Public Schools every year that kids are able to keep after they read them. It’s 3 1/2 weeks of classroom curriculum, which really adds value to the program. Kids in the program study not only geography and math from the book but also learn language art and reading skills, said Trueman. The reading project has been approved by the Florida Department of Education.
“It’s a trickle-down thing, once you have a literate community, you reap all the benefits, the horse industry, being an industry in Ocala, has to take on some of that responsibility that says we have to try to help, improve and support literacy rates in our community,” said Trueman. “The Black Stallion reading project is one aspect of that, it’s been shown to have an impact of getting kids involved in reading. That’s something that’s a gift for life as we see it.”
The event will be held Thursday, Nov. 6 at Conway Arabians in Micanopy from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the covered arena. It’s $50 per person, and tickets can be purchased in advance from the Ocala Horse Alliance website. There will be a silent auction to help support the program, live music and light refreshments.
