2014 Storybook Ball Celebrates 25 Years of Serving Military Families

November 20, 2014

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert at United Through Reading’s 6th Annual Storybook Ball.

United Through Reading held its 6th Annual Storybook Ball on Saturday, November 15th at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine.  The annual fundraiser supports United Through Reading’s mission to connect military families facing physical separation by offering the opportunity to be video-recorded reading storybooks to their children at home from nearly 200 locations around the world.

This year, United Through Reading marked a quarter of a century of serving military families and was honored to have the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, attend and participate by offering opening remarks.

The 25 year anniversary gala also honored long-time San Diego resident and United Through Reading founder, Betty Mohlenbrock, whose grand vision and dedication to the mission of United Through Reading is what laid the foundation for its celebrated success.

The Storybook Ball provides a way for United Through Reading to show appreciation to the dedicated volunteers, fervent supporters and generous donors who make its mission possible.  It is also a wonderful way for those invested in the organization to hear from the military families they serve how United Through Reading has made an impact on their lives.

To punctuate the programmatic impact, Mrs. Dale Goetz accepted an award on behalf of her late husband U.S. Army Chaplain Captain Dale Goetz, a strong United Through Reading advocate who was killed in Afghanistan where he was delivering the program to his soldiers.  Additionally, during the program Mrs. Brandy Kelly and 11-year old Ryan Boblett offered their family’s United Through Reading stories in two powerful vignettes.

Event sponsors included:
Target; BAE Systems; Dr. Seuss Fund at the San Diego Foundation; The Viterbi Family; Booz Allen Hamilton; Jacob Tyler, Brand Communications Agency; Tutor.com; Chicken of the Sea; Cubic; Insperity; Mr. and Mrs. Dwayne Junker; Sycuan: Band of the Kumeyaay Nation; Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Teshima; Mr. and Mrs. Jon and Chris Baker; G2 Software Systems; General Dynamics Information Technology; Mr. and Mrs. Alex Kelley; Mr. and Mrs. Steve Swinton; Torrey Pines Bank and Drs. James G.and Sally Ann Zoll.

SAVE THE DATE for United Through Reading’s 2nd Annual Tribute to Military Families May 20, 2015 at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.