A Bear and A Book

Floor Speech

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Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, today, I recognize Lauren Cullinan and Peyton Savarese, 11th graders at The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, who for 15 years have been friends and collaborated on multiple school projects together, including A Bear and a Book.

A Bear and a Book was founded in the fall of 2023 as a way to promote youth literacy. Like many others, when Lauren and Peyton were little, they would line up their teddy bears and read them a story. If they did not have someone to read to, they could always count on reading to their bears.

The Bear and a Book presentation begins with the girls reading an age-appropriate book to children with their own bear friends, Candy Bear and Sprinkles. At the end of the story, each child is given a bear and a book of their own to read at home.

With this book project, they have reached 55 classrooms in both New York and nearby Connecticut, and over 1,500 books and bears have been distributed.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Lauren and Peyton for wanting to help young children in our community and for their entrepreneurial spirit.

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