GOVERNORS CLUB — The Chatham Literacy Council’s ‘Spring for Literacy” fundraiser luncheon at Governors Club on April 10 raised more than $53,000 for the organization.
Author Frances Mayes, who wrote “Under the Tuscan Sun” and a number of other books and memoirs about life and living in Italy, was the event’s main draw. Mayes spoke about her newest book, ‘See You in the Piazza: New Places to Discover in Italy,’ and showed slides from her travels around Italy’s small towns.
Mayes has spent most of the last 30 years living in Italy, but also has a home in Hillsboro. The former university professor is also a poet and novelist. “Under the Tuscan Sun” spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into more than 20 languages.
Chatham Literacy works in a number of areas in Chatham County, including traditional literacy (helping adults to improve their basic reading, writing, and math skills), civics and language literacy (teaching English-speakers reading and writing skills), and life literacy skills (preparing adults for the modern workplace by offering workforce soft skills training, computer literacy and financial literacy).
CLC board Chairman Linda Nalty emceed the luncheon, and other speakers and presenters included tutor Esther Carrillo and Xochitl Salazar, who introduced Mayes. Tutor D Demers also spoke.
Tickets for the council’s Oct. 12 event, which will feature N.C. Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green, go on sale in July.