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Recap: 2024 Read-a-thon





Congratulations to all the Read-a-thon participants:



2,173 readers

2,009 donors

995 fundraisers

97 classes



and 706,000 minutes read!

Together we raised over $186,000!


As the BCE Readathon comes to a close, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible enthusiasm and participation from our outstanding community of students, teachers, and staff. Your dedication to fostering a love of reading and supporting our public schools has truly made this event inspiring and impactful.



Three cheers for the McKinley Bulldogs, our top fundraising school!


The Bulldogs surged past the Lincoln Lions on the last day of the Read-a-thon to claim the number one spot, and increased their fundraising from last year's Read-a-thon by 15 percent!


Kudos to BIS, with a similar flurry of donations on the final day, which brought them to second place!


Our readers raised over $186,000 for our schools, and counting, which is amazing! This money will help pay for 20 teachers and programs that benefit all 3,300+ TK-eighth grade students in the district. These funds create a rich and inspiring educational experience beyond what is possible with state funding.  We could not do it without the support of this community. THANK YOU!





Our Top Fundraisers


The top fundraiser in each elementary grade will receive a gift certificate for a free Maverick Jack’s milkshake. The top five fundraisers at BIS will receive a gift certificate for a free Maverick Jack’s entree of their choice. 







Our Top Readers


The top minute reader per grade (minutes logged) will have a book donated to their school library in their honor and will receive a free drop in chess class pass from Grupology (TK and Kinder winners will receive a book to read). The top minute reader at each school will receive a Keva Blocks set from Grupology.











Top Participation Awards


The elementary class with the highest percentage of students logging minutes and participating in the Read-a-thon will win bonus yard time. The BIS advisory with the highest percentage of students logging Read-a-thon minutes will win a breakfast party!




Congratulations to the Lincoln Lions for the highest school-wide reading participation at 91%.

To see the top participating classes at each school, click here for our ⭐FINAL⭐ Participation and Fundraising Progress Update (data as of 9pm Thursday, February 1).







Grand Prize Winners


One lucky student per grade is the Grand Prize Winner and selects one of these three prize options: Beats Studio Pro Headphones, a Gigglemugs Gift Card, or a Summit Bicycle Gift Card.






Thank you to our sponsors!


We extend our heartfelt thanks to the sponsors and local businesses who generously supported this initiative. Your commitment to our community and investment in the future of our children is truly commendable. It's through partnerships like yours that we can create lasting positive change and provide our students with the resources they need for success.




The attorneys and staff of Corey, Luzaich, de Ghetaldi & Riddle LLP are proud to be the continuing Title Sponsor of the BCE Readathon. Promoting the love of reading in our community is very important and we are inspired to see hundreds of young readers participating in this great initiative, reading but also turning into fundraisers!”


-Amanda Wenisch, Partner















And our gratitude to the Burlingame Public Library for its partnership in supporting the love of reading in our community. 




Thank you to our volunteers, school administrators, teachers, and librarians!


Thank you to our volunteers, school administrators, teachers and librarians for making this event an engaging and fun experience for all our young readers. We look forward to continuing our journey of promoting literacy and educational excellence in our community all year long!


THANK YOU for all of your help and support of our children’s education!


Our Tremendous Read-a-thon Team

  • BCE VP of Events: Cindy Wu

  • Read-a-thon Marketing Chair: Michelle Jones

  • Graphic Designer: Tricia Betts

  • VP Marketing: Rebecca Hopkins 

  • BIS Team: Erin Efner, Liz Anderson, Julie Tajeldin and Site Director John Glesker

  • Franklin Team: Carmen Petrossian, Angel Liu, Leslie Yeh and Site Director Alana Kleinerman   

  • Hoover Team: Pri Carr, Elaine Ko and Site Director Michelle Dow

  • Lincoln Team: Leslie May, Sherry Wang and Site Director Megan Dunne 

  • McKinley Team: Felicia Widjaja, Henry Yeung, Lanying Ma and Site Director Sharyl Wong  

  • Roosevelt Team: Clarissa Buckhan, Kate Tobias, Melanie Wang, Phyllis Choi and Interim Site Director Shantel Weinsheimer 

  • Washington Team: Birte Scholz, Meghan Scimeca and Site Director Melody Valdez

  • President : Jen Faber

  • VP of Business Development: Christina Funk

  • BCE Staff: Meredith Dunn, Brigitte Dean, Michelle White


Our Fun BSD Library Team

  • Sue Bottarini 

  • Lena Chang 

  • Helen Christian 

  • Maria Potenciano


Our Amazing Principals

  • BIS: Greg Land

  • Franklin: Jude Lawrence

  • Hoover: Lisa Booth 

  • Lincoln: Lori Guidi 

  • Roosevelt: Matthew Pavao

  • McKinley: Joy Shmueli

  • Washington: Alyssa Jaramillo


Special Guests and Community Partners

  • All of our BSD teachers and staff for your pictures, enthusiasm and overall support

  • Burlingame Public Library, Children’s Librarian Kathy von Mayrhauser for hosting our kick-off our event 

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