2026 Summer Newsletter Org-Wide
June 29, 2026
Always Dream
Summer Newsletter ☀️📚☀️
Thank you for supporting our
ʻProtect The Progress’ Campaign!
Before we get into our newsletter update, we want to say a sincere thank you to all who gave during our summer reading campaign! Your gifts helped us meet the match generously provided by Quest Foundation and ensured families in our program continue to have access to books and encouragement through the summer. Thank you!
Celebrating a Year of Dreams + What’s Ahead
We’re excited to share our full Impact Report with you in August! Until then, here’s a snapshot of the impact you’ve helped make possible over the 2025-26 (tel:202526) school year. Just look at how much reading our families did together!
As the school year comes to a close, we’re celebrating another year of helping families build confidence, strengthen family engagement skills, and discover the joy of reading. Thanks to your support, students and families across our program communities experienced meaningful growth both in the classroom and at home!
In April, Kristi joined the Always Reading year-end celebration at Bayview Elementary located in San Pablo, CA.
“The best part about the program is giving access to families that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it. Being able to use a tablet that gives us access to such a huge amount of ebooks is an invaluable gift.”
— Always Reading Parent, Vallejo Mill Elementary
2026 Annual Always Dream Gala
San Francisco
Reserve your spot before July 15th and receive our early bird discount!
https://paybee.io/in-person-event/alwaysdream/6
This year, we are proud to celebrate 30 Years of Stories That Inspire at our 2026 Annual Gala in San Francisco. Join us at The Palace Hotel on Saturday, October 24th as we celebrate three decades of impact and honor our co-founder, Dean Osaki, as this year’s Dream Maker honoree.
Secure your spot before July 15th for an early bird discount! 🌟
Early Bird Discount Available Until July 15th! (https://paybee.io/in-person-event/alwaysdream/6)
A Night to Remember – Mahalo!
What an unforgettable evening it was as we gathered in Honolulu for our Hawaiʻi Dream Gala. Our community rallied together and helped raise over $309,000 for our Always Reading program in Hawaiʻi. Mahalo nui loa to our sponsors, supporters, and guests who made this night possible.
Event Photos by Lindsay Myers Photography (https://photographybylindsay42.pixieset.com/alwaysdream/)
Event Photos by David Livingston (https://www.flickr.com/photos/alwaysdreamorg/albums/72177720333357393/)
📆 SAVE THE DATE: We’ll return to The Pacific Club on Saturday, April 24, 2027. Mark you calendars now, and we hope to see you there!
Meet Ken Levin:
Our Director of Philanthropy
We’re excited to announce that Ken Levin joins the Dream Team as our new Director of Philanthropy. Based out of the Bay Area, Ken brings with him over 20 years of nonprofit experience. Most recently, he worked at Glide Foundation / Glide Memorial Church, and previously with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and San Francisco Playhouse, where he served as the Director of Development. In his free time, you’ll find him in the kitchen cooking, baking, or making chocolate. Yum! We’re thrilled to have his passion and expertise on the team.
You can reach Ken at ken@alwaysdream.org (mailto:ken@alwaysdream.org) . Welcome, Ken!
4th Annual Kristi Yamaguchi’s
Family Literacy Festival
Don’t forget about the 4th Annual Kristi Yamaguchi’s Family Literacy Festival on Saturday, September 5th at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. This year will feature special guests including YouTube sensation Rebbie Rye, Latin Grammy Award Winner Mister G, and the new host of Reading Rainbow Mychal the Librarian!
Tickets On Sale Now (https://alwaysdream.org/kristi-yamaguchi-family-literacy-festival/)
LOCAL AUTHOR SEARCH 🔍
Calling all local authors and illustrators! Applications are now open to participate in the 4th Annual Kristi Yamaguchi’s Family Literacy Festival. Limited participant spots are available, and a $200 participation fee applies upon acceptance. Selected authors receive a dedicated table at the event, opportunities for in-person engagement with hundreds of families and community members, promotion through our social media channels, and the ability to sell their books directly to attendees and keep 100% of their sales.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to connect with local families and share your work with the community!
Apply Here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGa2wbtocY6-FkztH03H_LBghU4nGCQrztMdYPeb1Du9iW_w/viewform)
Always Dream in The News
https://alwaysdream.org/media-inquiries/
🗞️ Sacramento Bee: (https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article315627042.html) Kristi & Always Dream recently visited first-year partner school Strauch Elementary in Sacramento to celebrate literacy and student engagement through our Always Reading program.
🎙️ Kristi on the Undefinable Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00NN_wgUxG8) : Kristi Yamaguchi joins Jenna and Kara for an inspiring conversation about her journey on and off the ice.
📺 Inspiring Keiki to Read Daily (https://www.kitv.com/video/news/always-dream-program-expands-reading-access-across-hawaii/video_616d35a3-6f2c-5a26-a239-ac586d824e61.html) : Always Dream celebrated with Kailua Elementary students after they read 7,483 books through the Always Reading program.
https://alwaysdream.org/ways-to-give/
http://alwaysdream.org
http://instagram.com/alwaysdream
http://linkedin.com/company/alwaysdream
http://facebook.com/alwaysdreamorg
http://youtube.com/@kristiyamaguchisalwaysdream
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