The 35 people that make up the Leadership Reno-Sparks team have been on a journey since January to help remodel the library at Florence Drake Elementary School, but at Tuesday’s dedication ceremony students were excited for the journeys ahead of them.

With an emphasis on literacy, the dedication ceremony might have been hard to hear over the slurps of students enjoying juice boxes or munching cookies, but each student in the assembly was excited to hear about what the newly improved library would bring them. The library now provides a comfortable and safe place for the students to travel into the world of books and imagination.

Chairwoman of the Leadership Reno-Sparks program, Idora Silver, said that the class of 2009 has done an amazing job of completing its sustainable community service project. Silver explained that part of the leadership team’s purpose is to create and execute a project that will benefit the community but be self-sustaining once the team is no longer there to support the project.

As part of the library remodel, the leadership class had artist Lilly Reaves paint a mural in the library. The class also obtained six refurbished computers, installed a custom-made book check-out counter, upgraded work stations and seating areas and added more than 650 new and used books to the school’s collection with help from Sundance Bookstore in Reno.

Pamela Fitch, who teaches English as a second language, said the remodel is an asset to the school.

“I think it is awesome for the kids to have a place to go that is light and bright and safe and clean,” Fitch said. “(The students) are delighted because there are so many families that can’t go to the public library. To have a library they can use is great.”

Fitch said she teaches more than 60 students in second, third and fourth grade and she hopes her students will use the six refurbished computers and computer stations for educational programs as well as to help teach other members in their families how to use technology.

“The kids can work online and use programs to help improve their English,” Fitch said.

Silver said the Leadership Reno-Sparks class of 2009 has really outdone themselves.

“I could not be any prouder,” Silver said of the team’s hard work. “Except for the class of 1986, that was my class. This class has just been unbelievable, they have set the bar very high for the classes to come.”

Silver has been involved with Leadership Reno-Sparks, which is a Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce program, for decades and she said that the 2009 team, which marks the 25th anniversary of the program, excelled at its project through fundraising and community involvement.

“Every year the classes do a project and this year they wanted to do a project that enhanced the community,” Silver said. “What better way to do that then to help children?”

Silver said she likes to always remember the saying, “Readers are leaders and leaders are readers.” She said it is important for the community to recognize the significance that literacy can have on a child’s life.

“This project has legs,” Silver said. “It can help the community for years to come.”

At the dedication, Sparks Mayor Geno Martini thanked the Leadership Reno-Sparks team for doing a project that benefited a Sparks school. He also said that his daughter attended Florence Drake Elementary more than 20 years ago.

“The team looked at a number of schools, but they wanted to go with one that had a large need,” Silver said.

“This is a wonderful project,” Martini said. “I just want the leadership class to know that these kind of projects are projects that elected officials really appreciate.”

In addition to Martini thanking the Leadership Reno-Sparks class, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., sent a certificate of commemoration of the library remodel to be presented during Tuesday’s ceremony as well as a certificate of recognition for the leadership class.

“I’ve seen the library transformed into a phenomenal place,” said Steve Hull, Washoe County School District assistant superintendent for public affairs. “We want all of you to graduate from high school and go on to a great career and college and it all starts right here in the library.”

While hundred of eyes were fixed on the speakers at the library’s dedication ceremony, four pairs of eyes watched from the back with memories of their grandmother, for whom the school is named.

Silver said that although grandson of Florence Drake, Daryl Drake, is on the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce board of directors, he did not find out about the leadership team’s project until recently and was excited about it.

Daryl sat next to Maryellen Drake Petronzi, who is a retired teacher from Washoe County and works in the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno; Lynda Wozniak, who came from San Fransico for the event; and Claudine Fall, who came from Santa Clara, Calif.

Florence Drake’s four grandchildren said they were happy to be a part of the library dedication ceremony and that the importance of literacy has been passed through generations from their grandmother.

“The one thing I can say and I remember is my father emphasizing that literacy is very important,” Daryl Drake said.

“I think the family has taken a great deal of pride in all of this,” Wozniak said.

Fall said most of Florence Drake’s grandchildren have received college degrees and that education was always important to the family.

As the ribbon to the library was cut Tuesday, Leadership Reno-Sparks members, Florence Drake’s grandchildren, Martini, Hull and members of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce stood among the new books surrounded by the colorful Koi fish mural and bamboo stock laden pond painted on the walls.

“I wanted to do something whimsical,” Reaves said of the mural she painted in the library. “It was amazing, I never thought an opportunity like this would present itself and so soon after graduating.”

Reaves said she graduated in May from UNR with a bachelor’s degree in art. She said the mural took more than 100 hours to create but she is very happy with the work and the project as a whole.

“(The mural) will be here longer than I will,” Reaves said. “It leaves a lasting impression. It’s not only what I did but the new furniture and books and all that comes with it.”

For more information about getting involved in Leadership Reno-Sparks, visit www.leadershiprenosparks.org. Applications are now being accepted for the leadership class of 2010.