With a strong emphasis on literacy, Lehighton Rotary Club recently purchased and distributed dictionaries to every third grade student in both Lehighton and Palmerton Area School Districts.

"It's a real delight to arrange this project, to provide something beneficial to the young minds in our community," said Dictionary Project Coordinator Becky Wanamaker. "It's especially great to see the excitement of third grade students as they each receive a dictionary of their very own and enthusiastically discover all the cool things found within it."This project ensures that students have access to their own personal dictionary - both at school and at home. After having the students write their individual name in their dictionary, the Rotarians worked with them through several exercises on its various uses.Parents of third grade students who are home-schooled or enrolled in a cyber-school and are interested in obtaining one of these dictionaries are asked to call Wanamaker at Lehighton Memorial Library at 610-377-2750.Additional community programs of Lehighton Rotary Club include donating scales to Blue Mountain Health System for patients in the Visiting Nurses' Program who need this assistance; the annual Essay Contest for Lehighton Area High School students that reinforces the importance of community service; the annual Community Easter Egg Hunt and Collection for the Community Food Pantry; presenting scholarships to LAHS students to attend RYLA - Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly - to develop and strengthen leadership skills; and forming an Interact Club at LAHS that is designed to help enhance students' leadership skills, personal integrity, and respect for all.Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 34,000 clubs worldwide. Rotarians are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger; improve health and sanitation; provide education and job training; promote peace; and eradicate polio under the motto "Service Above Self." Locally, Lehighton Rotary Club organized in 1921.Rotary Club of Lehighton meets Mondays at 5:30 p.m. at Beacon 443 Diner / Restaurant. Prospective new members are invited and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 610-377-9706, e-mail

LehightonRotary@yahoo.com, or visit

www.Rotary.org.