Tis the Season

If you are looking for a charitable endeavor this holiday season, the organization Reach Out and Read just might appeal to you. Since 1989, Reach Out and Read programs across the country have been promoting reading as a standard part of pediatric primary care.

The premise is simple: pediatricians, nurse practitioners and family physicians write a "prescription" for reading. They give books to their patients and tell parents that reading aloud is one of the most important things they can do for their children.

There are approximately 3500 Reach Out and Read organizations across the country and they are always in need of books, volunteers in waiting rooms and financial support. You can find out more at their website.

Another cause that might appeal to horse lovers is the Laminitis Fund at New Bolton Center. Barbaro died of laminitis, a deadly disease of the hoof that is very common among horses of all types. Roy and Gretchen Jackson endowed a Chair at Penn Vet to fund a national initiative to find a cure for this disease. You can support it at the Penn Vet School's web site where you could also make a contribution in memory of Barbaro.