At the Santa Maria Valley YMCA, learning to read and write has never been more exciting — or more personal. Through the RISEUP program’s Write Brain project, 8-9 year old students recently had the chance to become real authors, creating, illustrating, and publishing their very own books.

The joy of their accomplishment came to life on Wednesday when 55 proud students stood before family and friends to share their published works during a heartfelt celebration ceremony at the YMCA.

More than 220 parents and family members gathered for the special evening, which included dinner, laughter, and plenty of proud smiles. Our two main RiseUP sponsors, Mechanics Bank and Reiter Affiliated, joined in the fun. Guests even enjoyed sweet strawberries, donated by Reiter Affiliated Companies — a sweet

See Full Page