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The 100 dictionaries given to students in Wallington are part of an annual event that addresses tradition in more ways than one, Rotary Club President Angela Mattina said.
"Nowadays there's so much techonlogy that people are forgetting what it is to hold a book," Mattina told Daily Voice. "Rather than talk to Siri and say, 'Hey tell me what this word means,' it's about keeping that whole generation down to the books and doing research themselves."
The students seem to enjoy it, Mattina said. So do the Rotary Club members, who play word games with the children.
The third-graders wrote thank-you letters.
"Some of them tell you stories about their brother from ninth grade who still has their [dictionary]," Mattina said.
The donations went to Wallington because of a longstanding relationship with the school district and the Rotary, she said.
Such an event is what the Garfield Rotary Club is all about, Mattina said.
The 12 active members participate in other events, as well, including providing Thanksgiving dinners and sending donations overseas.
"It's an amazing feeling just watching the kids light up," Mattina said. "It's great to do something nice for them."
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