[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6082]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




ACKNOWLEDGING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ROBERT CONDON AND THE ROLLING READERS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 1999

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to acknowledge 
the fine work of Rolling Readers USA and of its founder, Robert Condon, 
who died in January at the young age of 40.
  In 1991, Mr. Condon, realizing the profound benefits of reading aloud 
to his sons, began reading to other children at a local homeless 
shelter and at a Head Start preschool. He was soon reading to children 
in Boys and Girls Clubs, after-school programs, and public housing 
sites. By recruiting 10 volunteers, Mr. Condon was able to rapidly 
expand this reading program to over 400 economically-disadvantaged 
children each week.
  From this simple beginning, Rolling Readers USA was born! Eight short 
years later, 40,000 volunteers now read to and tutor 300,000 children 
each week and give $3,000,000 worth of new books to children each 
year--often the first books these children have owned. Each volunteer 
in the Rolling Readers program reads to the same group of children each 
week, establishing a continuity, not only in tutoring, but in inspiring 
minds, touching imaginations, developing language skills, and assuring 
a positive impact on children's lives.
  The Rolling Readers vision is very clear. We have a major crisis in 
our country--for 30 years literacy rates in the United States have been 
falling, with the biggest decline occurring in those children already 
in the bottom half in reading test scores. The work of Rolling Readers 
volunteers is critical to our nation!
  Rolling Readers has grown from one man's ideals and commitment to 
service to become California's largest and one of the Nation's premier 
volunteer-based children's literacy organizations. Upon the death of 
its founder, Rolling Readers is sponsoring a national read-in day on 
March 27, 1999 to commemorate his life and achievements.
  I would like to add my voice to the many who are thanking Robert 
Condon for his vision, his leadership, and his outstanding contribution 
to the children of our nation.

                          ____________________