June RIF NOVA News! A story of books and family love!

When A Family's Love = A "Book It" Sponsorship!

June 2025

What do these these pictures have to do with...

Book It For Books 2025?

Everything!!!

The family of board member Liz Promen is "all in" to celebrate Liz -- who was recently honored with the Jerry Shelton Award for longtime service to RIF NOVA. In honor of Liz, her six grandchildren have contributed a Hardback level sponsorship for our upcoming Book It For Books 2025 fun- and fundraiser. Zowie!!!

Four of Liz's grandchildren have been involved with RIF NOVA over the years, too. Addie, showing a RIF NOVA special commendation award, was one of our first Young Ambassadors. Her sister Marley is a current YA who has supported several book drives and Little Free Libraries. Cousin Adam donated books and participated in our 2024 Book Olympics story project. And young Anna is contributing to LFL's at the age of 10 -- a budding Young Ambassador if we ever saw one! Liz is pictured receiving the Shelton Award from board members Justina Johnson (l) and Nancy King (r).

In this photo, Liz is shown handing out a medal at Book It For Books 2023!

Do you have a family member, coworker, friend, or neighbor you'd like to honor with a Book It sponsorship? Are you part of a business that recognizes the absolute criticality of books and reading?

As an all-volunteer nonprofit, we are totally supported by our community! Race sponsors are critical to this effort. Sponsorship levels range from the $5,000 Nobel Prize level to the $250 Storybook level. (Note: Smaller donations are always welcome, of course!!!)

We invite businesses, foundations, and individuals to join in. Depending on sponsorship level, your name or business logo will appear on our race-day gift tote or t-shirt, on our website, or in the monthly RIF RAP newsletter you are reading now!

October 25 is the date and Lake Accotink Park in Fairfax County is the place. Mark your calendars! And please click here for sponsorship details and to learn about the benefits for each sponsorship level. Email us for info at: info@rifnova.org. Or call at: 703-528-3763. Your sponsorships go directly to support the programs highlighted below!

"This is the best day!"

So said a first grader after meeting author Hanh Bui at Arlington's Drew Elementary as part of the RIF NOVA Authors in Our Schools program! The author read her latest book, Ánh's New Word, followed by a word search game, learning a few words in Vietnamese, and decorating a sweater -- an important feature of the book. Then it was time for each child to get a signed copy to keep forever and to pose for pics with the author (r) and Drew librarian and RIF NOVA liaison Dora Sue Black!

Hanh Bui's visit to Drew was funded in part from a $5,000 grant from the 2024 Arlington Community Foundation Wish List. The grant helped to fund a total of six authors for presentations at four Arlington schools. In addition to Ms. Bui, authors Ellen Oh and Gabriella Aldeman visited Carlin Springs ES, Fred Bowen presented at Kenmore Middle School, and Erin Stewart and Tracey Kyle met students at Randolph Elementary. Each participating student received an autographed book to take home for keeps. We are very grateful to donors who supported this project through the Foundation. For photos of these and other author visits, please click here!

Book for Keeps Updates

It's been a busy time for book distributions throughout the RIF NOVA community through our Books for Keeps program. A few are noted below! Happy faces everywhere? YES!

"Start Your Summer with a Good Book" -- John Adams ES

Children at John Adams Elementary School in Alexandria had a ball picking two new books to take home for the summer, thanks to a RIF/RIF NOVA matching grant! Some of the children drew pictures of where they plan to read their books over the summer -- with 'under a tree' and 'at the beach' coming in as favorites! The children also explored bugs and rocks, built LEGO creations, assembled snap circuit boards, and enjoyed getting started on their brand new forever books!

"Spring into Summer Books!"

-- Crestwood Elementary

First graders at Crestwood Elementary School in Fairfax County watched a video about summer and then took a quiz about what they had learned. (They did well!) Then it was time to pick a RIF NOVA book for keeps to enjoy over the summer. Some picked picture books. Others picked early readers or chapter books. That was followed by coloring and cutting paper "crazy" glasses -- which some students were more than delighted to model.

Arlington's Teen Parenting Program

Even the little people served by RIF NOVA know a good book when they see one...especially when they got to choose TWO books each, thanks to a RIF/RIF NOVA matching grant. At this "Hello Summer" celebration, children also won awards for clean-up champ, happy dancer, and puzzle pro and could pick a flower lei, crazy sunglasses, and a toy to celebrate the day!

STEAM It Up!

STEAM It Up! had an amazing year -- with 10 RIF NOVA schools able to participate. Whether they built mazes or bridges, harmonicas or flashlights, children not only learned a lot about what it's like to be a mini-engineer/builder, they also were able to choose a STEAM book to take home forever! Thanks to Amazon and Amazon Web Services for supporting this impactful program! See more STEAM photos by clicking here.

Younger Drew Elementary School Dragons built harmonicas out of sticks, rubber bands, and straws. Some interesting "music" was heard as the children paraded excitedly throughout the school's library! Older children built flashlights from sticks, copper wire, and a small battery and light bulb. The project fit perfectly into the school's annual testing prep about sound and light.

Randolph Elementary School in Arlington was the final school to experience the fun and excitement of STEAM It Up! A first grade class had an a-MAZE-ing experience learning how to build a maze with straws, stickers, and a box. One child said, "I loved being creative!" Older students built bridges from popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners.

Donated Books in Our Community!

Books from our Donated Books program went flying off the tables at two recent community events -- as children queued up to find new-to-them books to love.

On your mark, get set...and they were off! Students, parents, and friends from Polk Elementary and Patrick Henry K-8 participated in an annual fun run on a May morning that could not have been better! While the run was the focus of the day, other community members were there to celebrate -- including RIF NOVA, which supports both schools each year with our programming.

Dr. Charles E. Drew is known as the father of the blood bank. The Arlington school named in his honor held a community celebration on May 31 with a blood bank (yes!) and tables of community supporters, including RIF NOVA. Books from our Donated Books program were on display for takers to browse and choose to take home for summer reading.