Members of the Pierce County Council adopted a joint resolution yesterday that draws attention to the largest community reading event around. Council Resolution R2014-30 proclaims March 2 through April 25 as the annual Pierce County READS program celebration.

“It’s always an honor to read resolutions during council meetings,” said Councilmember Joyce McDonald, who represents Pierce County’s 2nd District, “but I’m particularly proud to support the Pierce County READS program. Pierce County READS is a one community, one book program that encourages everyone in the county to read the same book at the same time and come together for discussion.”

This is the seventh consecutive year Pierce County READS has offered county residents an opportunity to read an award-winning book together. This year’s selection is “Wild,” a best-selling novel by nationally acclaimed author Cheryl Strayed, which tells her story of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington after the end of her marriage and death of her mother. Told with suspense and style, “Wild” powerfully captures the terrors and adventures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened and ultimately healed her.

McDonald – along with the rest of the Council and County Executive Pat McCarthy – jointly supported the resolution and encouraged participants in the Pierce County READS program to attend a free event to meet the nationally known, best-selling author on April 25, 2014, at 7 p.m. in the McGavick Conference Center at Clover Park Technical College, 4500 Steilacoom Boulevard Southwest in Lakewood.

“I’m so pleased that Neel Parikh, Executive Director of the Pierce County Library System, spoke on behalf of this resolution,” McDonald added. “The more people we can get involved in this great community-building program, the more tightly knit we’ll all become as a county.”

The Pierce County Library System and the Pierce County READS program is sponsored by KeyBank Foundation, the McGavick Conference Center at Clover Park Technical College and the Pierce County Library Foundation, which seeks to engage, involve and connect people throughout Pierce County.