Wednesday was an especially busy day at Cottonwood Elementary. That day, a group of Marathon Oil volunteers distributed nearly 3,000 books to students. In 2017, the company collaborated with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation to create the “My Home Library” program. This program began in Houston and has provided books to more than 25,000 children annually. The program expanded this year to include Carlsbad, south Texas and Oklahoma. Locally, each child at Cottonwood is receiving four books.
According to a press release, Marathon picked the project because 61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes. Students who were not proficient in reading by the end of third grade were four times more likely to drop out of high school, according to the study. Thank you to Marathon for this important push to assist with local education.
Our local energy partners have been very busy this week. The United Way of Eddy County also announced receiving a $7,500 donation from ConocoPhillips. Last week, volunteers with ConocoPhillips completed a “Make a Wish” program to help with a playground for a young man in Loving. Ten volunteers worked on this project. Thank you for making one Eddy County resident’s Christmas extra special.
The City of Carlsbad is honored to be working with members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee to prepare the annual upcoming celebration Jan. 15-17. Last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. The annual event includes a fundraiser banquet, a march to commemorate Dr. King’s dream and a church service. Members of the community, from all walks of life, have always come together to celebrate Dr. King’s Dream. Local youth groups participate in Monday’s march for a chance at winning the travelling trophy.
Carlsbad has been celebrating this event for more than 30 years. Julia Williams and her husband, Captain James Williams, have always been key organizers in this community event. Last year was especially difficult for our MLK Celebration volunteers- Captain Williams passed away, as did President Gary Giddens and active board member Bob Scholl.
The organization also gives out scholarships every year. We hope you will consider supporting this outstanding group of men and women by making a donation to the MLK Jr. Scholarship Committee at the Carlsbad Community Foundation, 114 S. Canyon St. You can also assist by buying tickets to the Jan. 15 banquet, which will be at the Pecos River Village Conference Center.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway