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Over the past two weeks, the Ballard Rotary Club been distributing dictionaries to 3rd graders at four local schools: St. Alphonsus, Adams, Loyal Heights, and Whittier.

“These dictionaries are a gift from the Rotary Club and celebrate the message of reading and literacy.  This is a yearly tradition that the club makes the donation to the local schools,” said William Rodgers, a Rotary Club member.

Ballard Rotary is a local service club with a mission to make a difference in the larger Ballard community and in the world by promoting international understanding, goodwill, peace, and to live through service and fellowship.

John Deasy, former president of the Ballard Rotary Club, said that this is the fifth year that Ballard Rotary Club has handed out dictionaries to the schools.

“The kids love it. They get to write their name on the plaque in the front cover and for many it’s their first real book they own themselves,” Deasy said at the distrubition at Loyal Height on Thursday, Dec. 9th.

“It’s a fun tradition that promotes literacy. Later in the year we do the Global Reading Challenge and purchase the books for the challenge for schools in the area,” he added.

Several members of Ballard Rotary were all present at the distribution and took turns asking the third graders words to look up in the dictionary.

“Sadly, dictionaries are probably going to be obsolete in a few years,” said Bob Wenman who coordinated the distribution at Loyal Heights, indicating that technology will replace the books.