Vons employees celebrate Read Across America by reading to youngsters in hospital beds

Published Friday, March 3, 2011

POMONA - With children's books and red-and-white hats in hand, a group of Vons employees Wednesday brought Read Across America to young patients at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.

Teresa Gamboa is the assistant manager of a Vons in Walnut, but on Wednesday she knelt next to 4-year-old Montclair resident Isaac Estrada and read portions of Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who!"

"See, Horton is a real big elephant," Gamboa said.

Debra Baker also spent a few minutes with Isaac. Baker is a district employee coordinator with the Vons' Human Resources Department but has a knack for magic tricks.

Baker held a dark velvet-like bag in front of Isaac where Gamboa placed three brightly colored cords. Baker waved a magic wand over the bag while saying, "abracadabra." The cords disappeared.

Then she made the cords re-appear. Isaac's face lit up.

A few steps away, Scott Bartlett, the assistant manager of a Vons in Fontana, read to Noah Salem, 4, of Upland.

After reading to Noah, Bartlett chatted a moment with the boy about his stuffed animal, a blue dinosaur named Dump Truck.

"Nobody wants to be in a hospital. I thought this would liven their day, and I feel good doing it," he said.