The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl was started in DeKalb County in 1985 by Helen Ruffin, the media specialist at Sky Haven Elementary School.  She had served on the Georgia Children’s Book Award Committee, and was seeking a way to get her students involved in reading these exceptional examples of quality modern literature.  Schools use the Georgia Children’s Book Award List for the elementary and middle school levels.  The high school level uses the Georgia Peach Teen Award List.  The first state-wide reading bowl was held in 2003 and was open to anyone who wanted to participate.  The 2004 Georgia Bowl had only 15 school systems participating.  Today there are over 200 school systems vying for the chance to participate at the state level.

Test results show a correlation between an increase in reading scores because of the a student's participation in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl.  Each year more students participate in the try-out phase where the children read the books, which means more and more of our students are reading.  The legacy left behind by Helen Ruffin is immeasurable.  Reading unlocks the imagination of our children, and opens them to possibilities that may not have explored otherwise.  The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowls honor Mrs. Ruffin’s memory because she left behind a legacy of reading in the state of Georgia.

Helen Ruffin believed that "Children who read become adults who lead."  The Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah extend our sincere thanks to the volunteers and teachers who make a difference every day in the lives of our children.  It is because of their commitment, and the hard work and dedication of the students and parents that the City of Savannah is proud to welcome this year's Quiz Bowl Team from the Savannah Chatham County Public School System.  The accomplishment of placing in the top 20 out of 400 schools at this year's Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl is a testament that Savannah is on the right path.  Congratulations!

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