Bernice Oberlander/Lynne Walters Library Summer Reading Fund

This fund was started in December 2011 by Lynne and Dan Walters in memory of Lynn's mother, Bernice L. Oberlander. The established purpose of the fund is to provide annual funding for the Morton Public Library's Summer Reading Program.

In 2012, the Bernice L. Oberlander/Lynne R. Walters Library Children's Summer Reading Endowment Fund was established with a generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Dan & Lynne Walters. Lynne's mother, Bernice Oberlander, was a member of the Library Board for 32 years, and served as President for 28 of those years.

Fifty years ago, when Lynne was in Junior High School, her mother asked her to help develop a new summer reading program. So, Lynne went to the store, bought some poster board and stickers and created the first summer reading program. A handful of youngsters signed up that first summer.

Now each summer the Summer Reading attracts more than 800 participants who track their reading time to earn prizes for their efforts. The Summer Reading Endowment Fund covers the cost of performers for our Friday programs in Hannah’s Reading Garden and the prizes for summer reading participants.

Dan and Lynne Walters wanted to do something permanent that would ensure this wonderful program would continue for generations to come. So, they approached Scott Witzig at the Morton Community Foundation to see how they could set up an endowed fund that would provide annual grants to the Morton Public Library in an amount that would cover the costs of the Summer Reading program.

The Walters' had a dream... The Morton Community Foundation was able to turn that dream into a permanent legacy. That makes a great story.