The Seward Rotary Club and the Seward Kiwanis Club hosted the Featured Authors from across the US who were presenting at the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival, along with the festival’s Volunteer Staff at a Nebraska Steak Fry at the Seward Izaak Walton League Cabin in rural Seward on Friday, September 20 th at 6:00 pm.
The Seward Rotary Club and the Seward Kiwanis Club hosted the Featured Authors from across the US who were presenting at the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival, along with the festival’s Volunteer Staff at a Nebraska Steak Fry at the Seward Izaak Walton League Cabin in rural Seward on Friday, September 20 th at 6:00 pm. Welcomes were officially presented and given to the guest authors and the Plum Creek Staff, along with the Rotarians and Kiwanians attending by both the Seward Rotary President Kurth Brashear and Seward Kiwanis Club President Jill Perdue Event Chair. The Special Author Event Chairman was Greg Zabka of the Seward Rotary Club. He was assisted by Kiwanian co-chair Jill Perdue. Rotarian Clark Kolterman assisted with the arrangements and facility.
The evening featured a Nebraska Steak dinner, baked potatoes, tossed salad-prepared by the members of the Seward Rotary Club and the Seward Kiwanis Club and their spouses. A special, decorated celebration cake was featured for desert.
Coordinating the kitchen were Rotarian Greg Zabka and his wife Dixie, along with Rotarian Roger Glawatz and his wife Sharon, Rotarian Russ Sommerfeld and his wife Nina, Rotarians Jon and Bonnie Kruse, Rotarian Melanie Ayres and her husband Gary, and Kiwanians Richard Stillahn and Lloyd Lipska.
Coordinating the kitchen were Rotarian Greg Zabka and his wife Dixie, along with Rotarian Roger Glawatz and his wife Sharon, Rotarian Russ Sommerfeld and his wife Nina, Rotarians Jon and Bonnie Kruse, Rotarian Melanie Ayres and her husband Gary, and Kiwanians Richard Stillahn and Lloyd Lipska.
Servers for the evening were Rotarians Annette Wallman and Daryl Hackbart.
Serving as additional hosts were Rotarian Brian and his wife Laurie Friedrich and Rotarian Ron and his wife Bea Niemoth along with Kiwanian’s Chrystal and Erik Kirby.
Serving as the grill masters were Rotarians Jon Kruse, Greg Zabka, John Riggle and Brad Perdue. The authors each introduced themselves, shared their hometowns and answered the question “What Surprised You the Most about Nebraska?”
Author’s attending included Sarah Albee-Watertown, CT, Ben Clanton-Tacoma, WA, Kekla Magoon-Montpelier, VT, Lita Judge-Peterborough, NH, Alan and Wendell Katz-Weston, CT, Florence Minor-Washington, CT, Barbara O’Connor-Asheville, NC, Lin Oliver-Los Angeles, CA, Jason Reynolds-Washington, DC, Lori Richmond-Brooklyn, NY, Stephen Savage-Brooklyn, NY, Matt Tavares-Ogunquit, ME, Duncan Tonatiuh-Laredo, TX, and Eugene Yelchin-Topenga, CA.
This was the 24 th Annual Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival on the campus of Concordia University in Seward, NE and surrounding areas. This year the festival served, at no charge to the students and their teachers, 15,221 students during the 17 authors in presentations throughout two full days of September 19 and 20, and also served almost 600 teachers on Saturday, September 21 st , 2019.
Next year the festival will be September 24-26, 2020 and celebrate the 25th Annual Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival.