Write a commentMeg Henderson, coordinator of Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Literacy Volunteers, has announced that Meteorologist Molly Matott of CNY Central’s Weather Team will serve as the master of ceremonies for Literacy Volunteers’ 10th Annual Diane Falise Memorial Scrabble® Fest.
A Central New York native, Matott graduated from SUNY Oswego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Meteorology and served as the chief meteorologist for SUNY Oswego’s WTOP-10 TV. Matott joined the CNY Central Weather Team last year and can be seen reporting live for WSTM, NBC 3 and WTVH, CBS 5, and CW6 in Syracuse.
“As a ‘Lifetime Laker’ I am very excited to be returning to Oswego and being a part of Scrabble ® Fest,” said Matott. “I learned about Oswego County Opportunities Literacy Volunteers program when Coordinator Margaret Henderson reached out to me. When Meg shared with me the statistics on how many of Oswego County’s adults struggle with literacy, I was shocked. The work that Literacy Volunteers does is immensely important because it’s aiding a problem that most don’t know exists. Through early education, most of us learn to read at a young age, and continue to use those skills our whole life. I can’t even imagine not being able to communicate through written words or read simple instructions. It must be so frustrating to not have a skill that we all take for granted every day.”
“We are thrilled to have Molly as our master of ceremonies,” said Henderson. “Her willingness to improve literacy and her enthusiasm about returning to Oswego will add even more excitement to this year’s Scrabble® Fest.”
The 10th Annual Diane Falise Memorial Scrabble® Fest will be held September 22 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Elks Lodge #271, 132 W. 5th Street in Oswego. “Scrabble® Fest is much more than just another fund raiser, it’s an event.” said Henderson. “It’s a unique evening that offers teams of four the excitement of fast-paced wordplay; encourages participants to express their creativity with clever team costumes; and the enjoyment of some friendly competition for a chance to win some great prizes.”
To make the games even more interesting teams will have the opportunity to purchase Golden Tiles, which play as a blank tile, and Exchange a Tile tokens that allow teams to replace as many tiles as they wish without losing their team’s turn at play. In addition to the Scrabble® competition there will be a variety of prize drawings, a 50/50 drawing and other fun activities to help support Literacy Volunteers.
“I’m glad to see that there’s such a great organization as OCO Literacy Volunteers that is actively helping adults learn basic communication skills, allowing them to achieve their educational dreams, retain employment, or even do something as simple as read to their children, added Matott. “I decided to be a part of Scrabble® Fest to help spread the word about this problem and the efforts of the OCO Literacy Volunteers program. And as I am a terrible Scrabble® player, I’m looking forward to Scrabble® Fest and seeing some healthy language competition!” added Matott.
Entry fee for a team of 4 is $100 and includes food and refreshments. The cost for individuals wishing to attend but not compete in the event is $15 (this fee includes food and refreshments). All proceeds from Scrabble® Fest will benefit OCO Literacy Volunteers. For more information on Literacy Volunteers or to register a team for the 10th Annual Diane Falise Memorial Literacy Volunteers Scrabble® Fest, contact Literacy Volunteers at 315-342-8839 ext. 129, visit www.oco.org, or visit and like the OCO Literacy Volunteers page on Facebook.
Operating under the auspices of OCO, Literacy Volunteers provides confidential tutoring services at no cost to the student. Tutoring includes basic literacy (reading and writing), English literacy to improve English speaking, reading and writing skills, and some simple math and computer skills. Volunteers have been providing Literacy tutoring in Oswego County for 50 years.
Did you know...OCO has been fighting poverty in its many forms since 1966! After 50 years, our commitment remains strong: inspiring partnerships and providing services that empower people, support communities, and change lives. For more information, visit OCO's website at www.oco.org.
