Finau shared his personal experiences, as well as some of his favorite reads, before heading out on the course.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see why … we can\u2019t achieve (the 100% goal for child reading proficiency). We\u2019re so extremely proud to just be part of this initiative and pushing this (agenda) in Utah. I don\u2019t think that there\u2019s many things much more important.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u00a0Pro golfer Tony Finau, on Utah organizations working to promote literacy in schoolchildren <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery child who learns to love to read has opportunity to do well in the classroom, has opportunity to grow and develop confidence and strength,\u201d Christine Ivory, president of the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, said to the group gathered at the Salt Lake Country Club. \u201cIt\u2019s not a dream to support that reality. We want people to understand how critical it is that we read.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ivory referenced The Atlantic\u2019s Rose Horowitch<\/a>, who has written extensively about the postliterate society that is becoming our reality. Ivory challenged everyone to think of the last book they had read as she embraced the necessity that we continue to engage the critical thinking parts of our brains through literature. <\/p>\n \u201cThere are about 183,000 children (in grades kindergarten through third grade in Utah). When you think that over half of those children for the past 10 years have not been reading to a level of proficiency, you just think about how that impacts (them),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ivory declared it a \u201cmoral imperative\u201d that every child at every school is taken care of and has the same opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cIt blesses us when we all take care of each other.\u201d<\/p>\n No kid left behind Alluding to the lofty challenge that lay ahead, Salt Lake Chamber President and CEO Derek Miller believes the private sector should take on responsibility.<\/p>\n \u201cEight out of every 10 dollars that circulates through Utah\u2019s economy is created by the private sector,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd since it\u2019s the private sector that drives Utah\u2019s economy, it ought to be the private sector that guides Utah\u2019s economy.\u201d<\/p>\n After plenty of research and discussion, Miller said the best way to guide Utah\u2019s economy is to raise the literacy rates of all Utah third graders to proficient levels by 2030.<\/p>\n \u201cI just have to say, the original goal was 90%, and Hope (Eccles) came to us and said, \u2018Derek, who are the 10% we\u2019re going to leave behind?\u2019 Obviously, we have to increase from 50% incrementally, but Hope was absolutely right,\u201d Miller said. \u201cAnything less than 100% is not appropriate when it comes to our kids being able to read. And that\u2019s, of course, why we\u2019re all here this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/NPVQJQG2CVCAPDSWB65NFECPXQ.JPG\")
Derek Miller, president and CEO at Salt Lake Chamber, speaks during a press conference before the “Readers Cup,\u201d a golf event sponsored by Tony Finau and community leaders advocating for early literacy at The Country Club in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/64HLRKRZFJHCDK6B6XZTCRIB2U.JPG\")
Tony Finau, left, golfs with community leaders in the “Readers Cup,\u201d a golf event sponsored by Tony Finau and community leaders advocating for early literacy at The Country Club in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n