Key stage Three pupils in Dominican College are gearing up for their 2009-2010 Readon Campaign . This initiative is designed to get pupils to read books they enjoy whilst raising money for local Children . The campaign follows on from other charity projects completes by the college this term including the Sponsored walk in September and the November Shoeboxes appeal .

Dr Bob Cummings,Principal of Dominican College,praised the Year 9 and 10 pupils not only for their fantastic efforts for last year’s Readathon, a similar UK based programme,but also for their very positive levels of reading for pleasure within and beyond school.

He encouraged the pupils, especially the new Year 8 pupils to approach this year’s NI based project with the same enthusiasm as they have for the past number of years .

Ms Rachel Burgoyne, a representative of the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund For Children (NICFC) informed her audience in school today that she was delighted to see Dominican’s Continued involvement in the 2009 Readon initiative where they helped to raise £1481 .She encouraged pupils to have fun reading and highlighted the valuable work done by NICFC.

Dominican pupils heard that two children per week in Northern Ireland are diagnosed with cancer and how this has massive implications for both the children themselves and their wider families . She explained that NICFC is a local charity which not only works with children diagnosed with cancer but also supports their parents and brothers and sisters . She described there various youth programmes including KACTUS ( Kids Against Cancer That’s Us ) which benefits children up to the age of eleven and TACT (Teens Against Cancer) which works with children up to the age of eighteen .Rachel explained that by taking part in the Readon Programme Dominican pupils would “help to rebuild the self confidence of children whose lives have been shattered by the sudden shock of cancer”.

Pupils were introduced to the Magical world of “Narnia” – a log cabin in Shimna Valley which has provided a base for residential and social weekends for more than 2000 Northern Irish Children affected by cancer . She also informed her audience of committed readers of the “home for home” for the parents of these children in the form of the Shimna Valley Holiday House .

Concluding her presentation , Rachel told pupils “You can make a difference in your reading ; not only in promoting your own love of reading but also by providing economic help to families dealing with cancer . Quoting from the inimitable Dr Seuss she advised Dominican Pupils:
“ The more you read , the more things you will know
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go !”

The Dominican 2009 Readon campaign begins on Monday December 7th and will conclude with the advent of the Christmas holidays in two weeks’time.