Professional storyteller, Heidi Hupal, reads to young Read-a-Thon participants as part of the Get Psyched! Read-A-Thon Thank You Party held Sunday, February 5 at the Arcadia Coffee Shop in Old Greenwich. 

The Get Psyched! Advocates for Children’s Mental Health group, a Greenwich volunteer committee of the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut, held a Read-a-Thon Thank You Party at Arcadia Coffee Shop in Old Greenwich. The event celebrated the success of the
Read-a-Thon campaign that raised over $5,800 for the parent and child resource libraries at each of the CGC locations.

The Thank You Party, attended by over 40 Read-a-Thon participants, donors and sponsors, included readings by professional storyteller Heidi Hupal and prize giveaways. The Read-a-Thon, one of Get Psyched!’s first events since the group’s official launch last November, ran from January 9-31, 2006 with over 90 participants. The money raised will be used to purchase books so that children and parents can learn more about mental health-related issues. Sponsors for the Read-a-Thon included Hersam Acorn Publishing, Just Books Too, WGCH-AM, WEFX-FM and WKHL-FM.

“The Read-a-Thon’s success can be attributed to our dedicated readers and their sponsors,” said Dr. Amy Hammel-Zabin, an area music therapist and CGC board member. “This is one of several Get Psyched! initiatives that we hope will help the Child Guidance Center continue to provide much-needed services in the community.”

All proceeds will go toward creating parent/child resource libraries at each of the Child Guidance Center's locations: Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, and New Canaan. The Center serves children with a variety of emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs. Access to a library of books addressing parents' specific questions and concerns can serve as an important adjunct to the work done in therapy, resulting in improved treatment outcomes and enriched family relationships.

Dr. Fenia Weiller, clinical coordinator of the Greenwich office, said reading has important emotional significance. "Reading to another naturally opens the door to conversation between the participants, allowing them to know each other in more meaningful ways," she said. "For a child, reading to another engenders pride in his or her abilities as well as a sense of responsibility to the listener."

The Get Psyched! advocates work to facilitate community education programs led by CGC professionals and raise awareness of and provide financial support for CGC’s services, especially those in Greenwich.