Murfreesboro, TN – United Way of South Central Tennessee (UWSCTN) and MMC Pediatrics present the Sixth Annual Storybook Breakfast fundraising event. This year’s event will be held at Overall Creek Elementary School on Saturday, March 1st, with two sessions, starting at 8:30 a.m. or 10:00 a.m.

Families will enjoy interacting with some of the most popular story time characters, including the Berenstain Bears, Pete the Cat, Maisy, Ladybug Girl, Curious George, and Peter Rabbit. Participants will also enjoy breakfast, Imagination Library story time, photo opportunities with storybook characters, crafts, and other family-fun activities.

As a part of UWSCTN’s initiative to increase kindergarten readiness, the local United Way works as the sustaining partner of Imagination Library to deliver books to approximately 17,000 Rutherford and Cannon County children ages birth to five every month.

“United Way of South Central Tennessee is the local sustaining partner for Imagination Library, providing books at no cost to families who are enrolled,” explains United Way Coordinator of Early Childhood Development, Rachel Hagler. “While the books arrive in the mail completely free to families, there is a cost for the books and postage that we pay for. Fundraisers like Storybook Breakfast help ensure we can continue enriching lives through the local Imagination Library program and inspire a love of reading for all children in our community that will impact them for years to come.”

Your local Imagination Library is powered by the support of donors within our local community. Supporting your local Imagination Library increases early literacy in our local community and helps children succeed in school. All proceeds from Storybook Breakfast benefit Imagination Library recipients in Rutherford and Cannon Counties.

"As pediatricians our goal is to promote the health and development of children. Our support of the Storybook Breakfast and the local Imagination Library positively impacts the early development and academic success of children in our community. We know that in addition to the educational benefits, the simple, but important, act of reading to young children helps strengthen families by creating greater emotional closeness between children and caregivers," shares MMC Pediatrician, Aaron Ward, M.D.

Tickets for the event are $15 per person, with a $60 household maximum, and can be purchased at yourlocaluw.org/storybook.