PC READS, the local nonprofit that advocates for the education and recognition of students with dyslexia, invites the community to Gin & Phonics, an evening of music, awareness, cocktails and fundraising.
Registration for the event, scheduled for Friday, April 24, at Woodward Park City, is now open, said Jory Macomber, program and events coordinator.
“Woodward is a wonderful place to host this event and their food is prepared on site and delicious,” he said. “We’re more relaxed, less formal, than a lot of galas, so Woodward’s vibe is a perfect fit for us.”
Attendees will arrive to a lively cocktail party atmosphere, complete with great food and drinks served throughout the night, according to Macomber.
“We’ll have two high school students performing on guitar and singing, and one of them is a graduate of our program,” he said.
After the cocktail hour, Executive Director Elissa Aten will welcome the guests and turn the microphone over to Kelly Manning, PC READS’ board chair.
PC READS MIND Youth Mentors will also be on hand, according to Macomber.
“These are kids who started the program in elementary school and are in high school,” he said. “They work with our younger kids as mentors. When kids get identified with having dyslexia, it can be scary. So the MIND Mentors give them a figure-this-out perspective to help these kids. Often they’re more effective than parents.”
The night will continue with a performance by Park City-based singer-songwriter Bryon Friedman, also known as Freedog, an opportunity drawing and live and silent auctions, Macomber said.
Live auction items include two-night stay in an Earth Suite at the Lodge at Blue Sky, a weekend at the Waldorf Astoria Park City, tickets to a Utah Mammoth game with a broadcaster meet and greet, a Utah Jazz experience, Ski Utah interconnect tour and a stay at the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird.
While silent auction bidding is reserved for attendees, opportunity drawing tickets are open to all, including the chance to win a two-night stay at The Pendry.
The event’s fundraising goal is $100,000, Macomber said.
“Half our (annual) budget is raised at this event, and that allows us to offer our services for free,” he said. “Once people come in for help, we do assessments and have advocates who work with teachers, tutors or schools to support these students’ reading journey. So, the money helps pay for what we do.”
Last year, PC READS, which stands for Park City recognizing, educating, advocating for dyslexic students, launched its Reading Conference Grant program that sends local educators to national reading conferences.
“Understanding the science of reading benefits all students, including those with learning differences,” Aten said in a statement. “While costly, these conferences offer invaluable opportunities to strengthen reading instruction. We were proud to send three teachers to The Reading League conference in Chicago, and with additional resources, we hope to expand similar opportunities to even more educators.”
Amanda West, a kindergarten teacher at Parley’s Park Elementary School, was one of last year’s three recipients.
“Attending this conference was a transformative experience that provided a wealth of practical, research-based strategies rooted in the science of reading,” she said in a statement. “The sessions were remarkably comprehensive, covering all the foundational pillars of literacy and the dynamic presentations provided concrete ‘takeaways’ that I immediately implemented in my classroom.”
PC READS will send six educators to conferences, Macomber said.
“Part of our role is to help individuals and increase the understanding and raise awareness of dyslexia,” he said. “This is how the teachers can help understand the challenges of dyslexia better.”
The evening will also include the 2026 Elevating Literacy Award presentation, which recognizes an educator who has made significant contributions to “improving the lives of students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia,” according to the PC READS website.
This year’s recipient is Joanna Hammel, who works at McPolin Elementary School as an interventionist, Macomber said.
“We solicit nominations of teachers who have played a positive and critical role in helping kids on their reading journeys from parents and educators, and this has been going on since close to our inception,” he said. “Joanna got a ton of really wonderful nominations.”
Dyslexia is often misunderstood, Macomber said.
“Most parents get cued in when their kids are in second or third grade and they see how things seem harder than they should be,” he said. “That’s usually how they come to learn more about dyslexia.”
PC READS wants to expand that awareness, so it hosts community events throughout the year, Macomber said.
“One is called Dyslexia for a Day that will be held May 6 at the Blair Education Center,” he said.
The presenter will be Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley of the Dyslexia Training Institute.
“We’ll set it up so you kind of experience what it’s like to have dyslexia and learn how it works,” Macomber said.
Various studies conclude that 10% to 20% of the population has dyslexia of some sort, according to Macomber.
“So if you look at Park City School District, that’s up to 800 students just in the district, but a lot of kids still haven’t been identified,” he said. “The money raised with Gin & Phonics helps us support about 100 kids a year, and our goal between awareness, fundraising and outreach is to grow that number.”
PC READS Gin & Phonics Fundraiser
- When: 6 p.m. Friday, April 24
- Where: Woodward Park City, 3863 Kilby Rd.
- Registration: tinyurl.com/yzwpnptm
- Web: pcreads.org