This Week at READ USA
Peter Racine: 2025 READ to Lead Award Honoree
- Read USA Inc.
- October 22 2025
Today we are celebrating our 2025 READ to Lead Award Honoree, Mr. Peter Racine!
Anyone who knows Peter Racine knows how he fully lives his personal mission to “connect, inspire, and support those creating a better world.”
Peter has had a lifelong career of service to humanity locally, nationally, and internationally, and his work has been featured in high-profile news, including Time Magazine and Dateline NBC.
Also, did you know that, during his time at the Jaguars Foundation, Peter won two Regional Emmy® awards?!
Peter recently retired as the Senior Vice President of the Jaguars Foundation after serving for 25 years, where he guided grantmaking of more than $50 million to nonprofit organizations supporting children and families, education, literacy, youth health and fitness, veterans, healthcare, animal welfare, and other worthy initiatives in the Jacksonville area.
“Peter was the cornerstone of the Jaguars Foundation, helping to make it one of the most respected levers of support in our community,” shared our President and CEO Dr. Rob Kelly. “But Peter’s community involvement and support also extend far beyond his work at the Jaguars Foundation. For READ USA, he has provided guidance and strategic counsel that have helped shape our organization’s future and the futures of the students, teen tutors, and teachers we serve. For his support of READ USA and so many organizations like ours across Northeast Florida, he is more than deserving of this recognition.”
Peter began his career of service as a college volunteer at the Covenant House shelter in New York City, serving runaway, homeless, and urban street youth. Peter went on to help open Covenant House shelters in Toronto and Houston. He and his wife, Kelly, then established the Covenant House programs for children in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he served as its first executive director for six years.
After returning to the United States and settling in Jacksonville, Peter was the initial Executive Director of the Northeast Florida Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, establishing in-home family prevention services in Duval and Clay counties.
Despite retirement, Peter remains active both locally and internationally. He serves as the President of the Center for Central American Empowerment, a foundation he co-founded with his wife that is dedicated to protecting and empowering women and girls in Central America. He is also the Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville, with locations in Arlington and Fernandina Beach.
“The Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville and its congregation have been steadfast supporters of READ USA,” added Dr. Kelly. “Not only has the church sponsored the READ USA Book Fair at Arlington Heights Elementary School for several years, but members routinely volunteer at READ USA events. We have been so grateful for their support.”
Peter was featured in Time Magazine for his work on behalf of girls exploited by sex trafficking in Central America, and on Dateline NBC for his work with young glue addicts. He also received two Regional Emmy® awards as executive co-producer of the “Jaguars Teen Talk…Game Plan for Success” television program.
Congratulations to Peter Racine for being selected as the 2025 READ to Lead Award Honoree! Team READ USA is immensely grateful for Peter’s long-term support of so many deserving organizations and people across the globe.
To celebrate alongside Peter, join us at Peace in the Pages on Friday, November 7 at 11:30 a.m. at the Schultz Center! You can reserve your seat by making a $150 donation HERE today.
Video: “The teachers are the heart of READ USA…”
“READ USA has a dual aspect… There are many opportunities for you to receive help.”
In reflecting upon his service as a READ USA tutor, Nyzair, who is now a college student, expressed how vital teachers are to READ USA’s impact and mission—not just because of the in-the-moment coaching they provide to our teen tutors during Literacy Tutoring, but also “…on a broader scale.”
Watch Nyzair’s remarks in this short video:
When we recently sat down with Nyzair, he also shared how, “Being a tutor awakened many aspirations within myself…and it made me more confident in myself...”
#ICYMI that video the other week, you can watch it here:
An investment in READ USA is a direct investment in our teen tutors. During their time with READ USA, our tutors acquire valuable skills that directly translate into work and life experience—which they take with them forever.
Right now is the perfect time to support our teen tutors, just like Nyzair. By donating to READ USA today, you are investing in our nation’s future leaders – while making an immediate, significant impact on the teen tutors and students we serve right now.
Jacksonville Jaguars Visit Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary
The Jacksonville Jaguars are back from London, and one of their first stops this week was at Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary School for a Literacy Locker Room yesterday!
Second- through fifth-grade students at Rutledge Pearson welcomed Jacksonville Jaguars Legend and former linebacker Kevin Hardy, members of the ROAR of the Jaguars, and of course—Jaxson de Ville himself! Students also got to participate in a mini pep rally as well as a read-aloud with Hardy (who read There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dragon and Big Foot and Little Foot: The Monster Detector), and thanks to the support of JEA, they each received one free book!
At Literacy Locker Room events, students choose free books to take home and keep, courtesy of the Jaguars Foundation and Jacksonville Jaguars sponsors, including JEA and other partners. Yesterday morning, they also received free Jaguars swag bags filled with pencils, bookmarks, and other goodies. JEA also gave each child plastic hard hats to wear for the day!
Thank you to the Jaguars Foundation for their ongoing partnership and support of childhood literacy through READ USA! Our gratitude also goes to JEA and its employees who volunteered at the event, and to the staff at Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary School for the warm welcome. Many thanks as well to Adriel Rocha, Vice President of Community Impact and Football Development, and Michael Carnahan, Jaguars Foundation Community Impact Senior Manager, who make the Literacy Locker Rooms possible.
THANK YOU, Jacksonville Jaguars, for making Tuesday morning such a memorable one for the students at Rutledge H. Pearson!
Children’s Book: Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
Written and illustrated by Inga Moore
Kids love animals, and Sid is the ultimate cool cat.
Six Dinner Sid shows how a cat named Sid can be the most clever, sneaky, and downright charming cat you’ve ever read about. He’s not just any cat… he’s a cat who manages to live in six different houses on the same street. That means six names, six cozy beds, and yes—six dinners every single day. Talk about living the dream! Sid is independent, clever, and a little mischievous… just like some of us!
Sid has a different personality for each house—sometimes he’s fancy, sometimes cuddly, sometimes mysterious. You’ll laugh at how he tricks all his owners into thinking he’s their one and only cat.
Sid, the master of disguise and dinner-hopping, eventually catches a nasty cough. Since each of his six owners thinks they’re his only owner, they all do the responsible thing: they take him to the vet. Oh, Sid’s trip to the vet is one of the funniest and most revealing parts of Six Dinner Sid!
Sid ends up being taken to the same vet six different times, by six different people! Imagine the vet’s confusion seeing the same black cat show up again and again, each time with a different name and owner. It’s a hilarious moment that kids love because it’s so absurd and silly.
The vet finally puts the pieces together and realizes Sid is living a secret life. Once the owners find out, they’re shocked—and a little annoyed. They say Sid has “no business eating so many dinners,” and they try to put an end to his six-meal lifestyle.
But Sid isn’t one to settle for just one dinner. He moves to a new street where—get this—the neighbors do talk to each other, and they all know he’s a six-dinner cat. And they’re totally fine with it! So, Sid gets to keep his luxurious lifestyle, cough-free and with full bowls.
The end is a brilliant twist that teaches kids about consequences, cleverness, and community—all wrapped in humor and feline charm.
Submitted by Melanie Poag, READ USA Content Assistant
Parent Education Corner: Johnny Appleseed Book Activity
It’s fall, y’all!
As the weather becomes cooler, apple harvesting has begun—and it’s a perfect time to celebrate Johnny Appleseed and his contributions to American horticulture.
The book Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg is a colorful, imaginative, and heartwarming retelling of the American folk hero’s life. Aimed primarily at children, it blends fact and folklore, telling the story of John Chapman—better known as Johnny Appleseed—who traveled across the American frontier planting apple seeds and spreading kindness.
After reading the book, try some apple crafts with your family! One craft idea is “Apple Stamps.” Sliced apples can be used to make fall cards for friends and family, gift wrap paper, or anything else you can think of.
Apple Stamps
Supplies: apples (any kind), knife (adults only), fork or popsicle sticks, paint (acrylic or fabric in fall colors), paper plates, fabric or paper to stamp on, markers, and paper towels for cleanup.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Cut the Apple: Slice the apple in half either horizontally (to reveal a star-shaped core) or vertically for a classic apple shape.
- Add a Handle (Optional but Helpful): Stick a fork or popsicle stick into the back of the apple to make it easier for little hands to grip.
- Dip in Paint: Pour paint onto a plate and dip the flat side of the apple into it. Make sure it’s evenly coated but not dripping.
- Stamp Away! Press the painted apple onto paper or fabric. Lift straight up to avoid smudging.
- Get Creative: Use different colors, add stems and leaves with markers, or turn your stamps into cards or seasonal decorations.
- Let It Dry: Allow your stamped artwork to dry completely before displaying or gifting.
Submitted by Melanie Poag, READ USA Content Assistant