Senior Citizen Volunteers at Boulder City Senior Center Celebrate Cleaning Their 200,000th Book

June 12, 2009 - On June 12, at the Boulder City Senior Center, the "Friday regulars" of senior citizen volunteers trickled in for another morning of book cleaning, coffee and conversation.

They didn't realize they had a surprise in store! This day would mark the cleaning of their 200,000th book for Spread the Word Nevada.

Back in 2002, Founder and Director of Programs of Spread the Word Nevada, Laurie Hartig (photo, above right), approached the senior center looking for help with book cleanings to assist the fledgling children's literacy program.

Hartig enlisted the assistance of Edith Zinn (above, center), former Assistant Director of the center and still a Friday morning book-cleaning regular. Zinn said, "My husband was always a reader. We had three kids and a library in the house. I wanted to support this program for all the kids who had no books." Her longtime friend Pat Labenz added, "It took no convincing at all."

The Boulder City Senior Center volunteers were the first group to regularly clean books for Spread the Word Nevada, and they continue to do so, without fail, each Friday morning.

The group consists of four or five women who love to get together and contribute to a good cause, as well as enjoying some social time with each other.

Barbara Wheeler, who joined the group last year said, "We all get together and talk and talk and talk!"

A special commemorative piece of artwork, created by one of the at-risk students served by Spread the Word Nevada's Kids to Kids program, was presented to the volunteers and the Boulder City Senior Center. (It should be noted that just about all of the volunteers continued cleaning books during the presentation, never missing a beat!)

Book Coordinator Cindy Hensel, who oversees all the Friday cleanings at the center, treated the volunteers to a thank-you lunch.

Seven years of volunteering later, the group of women at the Boulder City Senior Center still enjoy the cleanings as much as they did on day one. "We just love doing this," said group member Barbara Wheeler. "We look forward to it."

Thank you to all our amazing, selfless and determined senior volunteers!

Reporting by Daja Gegen. Photos by Scott Roeben.

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