Students at Griggsville-Perry Elementary School will soon have even more reason to pick up a book, thanks to a grant of over $4,400 supporting the school’s Reading Rewards Program. The project, funded by the Ty Rylander Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri, will help cultivate a love of reading among local youth.

Established in memory of Ty Rylander, the fund honors his spirit of generosity by supporting projects that enrich the lives of local youth in Ty’s beloved hometown community of Pike County, Illinois. The Reading Rewards Program reflects the fund’s mission of giving back to the community in meaningful and lasting ways – investing in children’s futures through the power of literacy.

“Ty always believed in lifting others up, and what better way to honor that than by encouraging children to explore the world through reading,” said Gina Rylander, Ty’s mother. “Our family is so grateful that his fund can make a difference for the students at Griggsville-Perry Elementary. We hope this program inspires a lifelong love of books in every child it reaches.”

The Reading Rewards Program at Griggsville-Perry Elementary School encourages students to read through incentives and recognition, fostering academic growth and a positive relationship with learning from an early age.

"Reading opens the doors to a lifetime of learning and knowledge, and that's the kind of opportunity Ty would have wanted to create for kids in his community,” said Kent Embree, Program Officer at the Community Foundation. “We're proud to see his fund making an impact in the classroom, and because it's endowed, it will keep doing so for generations to come."

The Ty Rylander Memorial Fund is one of more than 200 charitable funds managed by the Community Foundation, which works with donors to create permanent endowments that benefit local communities for generations.



For more information about the Ty Rylander Fund and how it continues to support local projects, visit: https://cfquincy.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1205