'Read for the Record' Kicks Off in Broward County at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Children’s Services Council of Broward County (CSC) partnered on the first of a series of events in support of “Broward: Read for the Record,” an annual CSC event that promotes early literacy by bringing together thousands of children and adults across Broward County to read the same book on the same day.

At the children’s hospital, United States Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Broward County School Board Vice Chair Debra Hixon, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital CEO Caitlin Stella, and Cindy Arenberg, president and CEO of Children’s Services Council of Broward County, read Piper Chen Sings to kids undergoing treatment. The book, by Grammy winner and Tony-nominated actress Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran, is a story about a young girl who loves to express herself through song. When asked to perform solo in front of an audience, Piper uses the nervous butterflies in her stomach to muster the courage to find her voice on stage.

This is the 10^th year of Read for the Record in Broward County, but the first time an event was held to include kids from Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

“We know that reading is an important part of a child’s enrichment and development, and an event like this is a welcome respite for kids undergoing treatment,” said Stella. “It also brings the children’s hospital to the center of the community and reinforces that we can use books to empower all kids.”