Wearing bear ears and a bear nose, Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers read to children this week at the Key West Preschool Cooperative’s Read for the Record event.

Read for the Record is an annual national campaign in which the same book is read at the same time across the country. It’s an effort that began more than a decade ago to get families, early education centers and children excited about reading – and to address the educational inequities that leave too many children unprepared for kindergarten.

This year’s book selection is The Bear Ate Your Sandwich, a story written and illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach.

“Reading at an early age is vital to a child’s success – and it’s fun!” Carruthers said.

The event was held in conjunction with the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, which is attempting to break reading records across the two counties.

Carruthers sits on the board of directors for the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe. She travels to the mainland once a month to ensure that Monroe County has strong representation and receives its fair share of regional funding.