SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The "Light a Candle for Literacy" parade and festival is set to take place Saturday, June 7th, from noon to 4 p.m. at Beauchamp Library, celebrating the legacy of Geneva Hayden, who founded the Light a Candle for Literacy's Afterschool Program. For the past 30 years, Hayden has dedicated her efforts to serving children and families in her community.

The festival has grown into a vibrant parade featuring children and their favorite book characters. Marva Cook, who works with the event, explained the it's purpose: "Hence the name, 'Light a Candle,' the whole idea is to shine a light on literacy, and make sure that all our kids are, especially the kids on the south side, that they have access to books. A lot of kids are in homes where they don't have books, or even access t

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