Lake Okeechobee is the second largest lake in the United States. The view is stunning, and it’s a great place for a bicycle ride. For the past two years, Loop the Lake for Literacy has attracted hundreds of cyclists from all over the world to participate in an exciting, fun event to benefit the programs of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. The proceeds of Loop the Lake positively impact thousands of local children and families.

Event routes are set up for both the beginner and the advanced rider—and include chip timing and ride statistics. Participants choose the ride best suited to their abilities. This year’s Loop the Lake event is scheduled for Saturday, February 23, 2013.

All rides begin on picturesque Torry Island at the Belle Glade Marina Campground. The three shorter rides—the Sonnet, the Short Story and the Classic Metric Century—take place entirely on the dike without any car traffic. The Epic Full-Loop course is a complete loop around Lake Okeechobee, partially on the dike and partially on open roads, for experienced cyclists only.

The Mission

The mission of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is to improve the quality of life in the region by promoting and achieving literacy. The goal is to ensure that every child and every adult in Palm Beach County becomes a reader—a key skill needed to assure success in life.

One in seven adults in Palm Beach County is unable to read and understand information found in books, newspapers, magazines, brochures and manuals. Through extensive outreach and collaboration with a network of community partners, the Literacy Coalition strives to ensure that individuals who need to improve their literacy skills receive the help they need. In 2008, the Literacy Coalition provided services to more than 30,000 adults, children and families.

Proceeds from Loop the Lake help fund the following programs:

- After School Reads

- Adult Literacy

- Workplace & Community Education

- Turning Bullies into Buddies

- Reach Out and Read

- Parent Child Home Program

You can learn about these valuable programs by clicking here.

The Unlikely Story of Loop the Lake for Literacy
by event co-founder Steve Leveen

Ice cream cones were supposedly invented by accident. The story I’ve heard is that an ice cream vendor at a busy fairgrounds ran out of the paper cups he was using to sell his ice cream and in desperation turned to another vendor who was selling waffles. He served up his ad hoc treat, and the rest is culinary history.

If this story isn’t true, it should be, because it’s a sweet illustration of a larger truth: sometimes adding two good things gets you something great. This is, in fact, just the case in the story I’m about to tell you about how Loop the Lake for Literacy came about.

I’m old enough to remember when walk-a-thons began. It was around 1970, while I was in high school. Some group of do-gooders at Helix High in La Mesa, California, where I was a sophomore, were all excited about walking around the high school track and were trying to talk their fellow students into “sponsoring” them by paying 25 cents a mile.

“What a stupid idea,” I remember saying to my friend Jim. And he agreed, since we both prided our young selves at being cynical about school spirit (despite us both playing trumpet in the band and doing our part for such spirit).

“If you want me to give you some money for your cause, fine,” I remember saying to Jim. “But why do I care if you walk yourself silly around the track?”

My youthful cynicism, as it turned out, could not have been more off target. Decades later we all can testify to the plentitude of athletic events now routinely used to raise money for worthy causes. There are so many of these Walk-a-Thons, Run-a-Thons and Bike-a-Thons for the simple reason that they work.

Moreover, I’ve come over to the other side and regularly participate in such events myself, accelerating in the last five years with rides for MS, diabetes, and especially for cancer research.

During the same five years that I’ve been riding my bike for causes, I’ve also gotten experience tutoring adults in reading and writing English. I began this after seeing my sons get so much out of their community service, and also after reading Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. I called Darlene Kostrub, the head of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County where I live, and tentatively uttered some fateful words: “I think I’d like to tutor.”

The experience was wonderful.

I witnessed for myself these recent arrivals from the Caribbean and Latin America work hard to improve their reading and speaking skills. They were tackling a difficult language we all take for granted. After a year or so, I heard about a program the coalition runs out in the western, agricultural part of our county. I took a day off and drove the hour out to Belle Glade. There I tutored Latina women whose children were gaining reading skills in the same facility. It’s hard to believe that Belle Glade, whose city motto is, “Her Soil is Her Fortune,” is in the same county as plush Palm Beach, with its Rolls Royces and mansions.

When I called Darlene to tell her how impressed I was with the small facility and the diligent students, she explained to me that there was a waiting list of people who want to come get help, but there isn’t enough funding.

After tutoring, I took some time to drive up to the dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, the gigantic lake that dominates this region like The Great Salt Lake dominates Utah. This is the “O” that you see on Florida maps.

I was startled at the lake’s expansive beauty. Flocks of prehistoric looking roseate spoonbills and snowy egrets flew in formations against religious skies. My son Corey came with me to tutor on two occasions. Afterwards, we rode our bikes on the paved rim of the Herbert Hoover Dike, built after a disastrous hurricane-driven flood in the 1920s. (The book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston memorialized the disaster in one of America’s great works of fiction—recognized, alas, too late for its author.)

After seeing how beautiful the area was, and how devoid of people and cars (in vivid contrast to where we normally ride along the picturesque but dangerous A1A near our home), I easily convinced my riding buddy Rob Kennedy to do a ride around the lake.

Together with Rob’s brother Brian, and my sons Cal and Corey, we went out on a Friday night at the end of May 2009, and spent the night at Roland Martin’s bass fishing lodge, nestled on the south shore of the lake. Early the next morning, we set out on four bicycles and one white van for support, and began our expedition.

The sun beat on us, various reptiles greeted us, and thunderstorms made us run for cover three times, including for a long lunch in a friendly restaurant whose bartender didn’t mind us coming in soaking wet and dripping on her concrete floor. In all it took us 12 hours to complete the 120 miles. We were sweaty, sore and exhausted.

It was marvelous.

Somewhere along that ride, during one of the breathtakingly beautiful stretches when the cloud-painted skies stretched forever over the glistening lake, the idea struck: We have got to get other cyclists out here to experience this—and why not team up with a great cause…. but of course—the Literacy Coalition.

A month later, I went to lunch with Darlene and floated the idea. A gleam appeared in her eyes. As it turned out, her board was searching for another major event to raise funds for the coalition, and perhaps this was just the thing. As Darlene, Rob and I discussed the idea with friends and associates, we met with universal enthusiasm.

Partly it’s because many people who live in our congested coastal cities of Florida haven’t ever seen Lake Okeechobee, and they’re curious. And partly, it’s the obviously worthy cause of supporting literacy efforts.

The many people we spoke with who live in the Lake Okeechobee area are enthusiastic about outsiders seeing just how inviting their region is. The locals who live in Belle Glade, South Bay, Pahokee and Clewiston think it’s important that people slow down and take some roads less traveled, to experience the beautiful and important ecosystem we call the Everglades.

And that, my friend, is the story of how Loop the Lake for Literacy began. And now a flock of dedicated, hardworking, talented people are the reason we’ll be able to pull it off and make it soar.

To me it sounds like ice cream in a waffle, with chocolate syrup and sprinkles. Or maybe you’d rather try local bass and hush puppies.

We invite you to come taste Loop the Lake for Literacy for yourself.

Many of us from Levenger participate in the Loop the Lake for Literacy rides. Come along for the ride—or just support a good cause if you’re so inclined. The rewards, I promise, are sweet.

To register and join the fun, click here.

How Levenger practices the art of conscious capitalism

Sales, margins and profits are crucial factors in a thriving business, but the growing trend of conscious business practices recognizes and acknowledges that the bottom line alone cannot be the only criterion for success. Today, flourishing companies are now becoming more sensitive to how their businesses can affect social change and leave the world a better place. Conscious capitalism promotes the idea that companies can continue to do good business while serving a greater good.

The long journey toward a more sustainable and humane business model begins with baby steps. Each company can choose its area of influence and begin to make small changes. At Levenger, we believe in the vital importance of reading and education, and have chosen to champion the cause of literacy around the world as a part of our growing Partnering For Good initiative.

Reading can provide a foundation for the development of imagination, critical thinking, social interaction and improved quality of life. Levenger is committed to contributing to organizations and programs that promote reading and literacy. The Levenger Foundation often makes direct cash gifts to such programs. But often our partnering comes in the form of new products produced in cooperation with institutions that receive a royalty on their sales.

One such product is the Kantha Book Pillow, crafted by women artisans in rural India employing the ancient technique of hand-carved woodblocks. This artisan group had all but vanished, but now is thriving thanks to projects like this one for Levenger. We partnered with a member organization of the Fair Trade Federation in commissioning these reading pillows, each handmade and hand-stitched piece bearing its own unique pattern. Levenger is also making a donation to a literacy group that reaches the rural communities of India. This is just one example of a growing list of products we create in partnership with libraries, museums and other organizations, paying them a portion of the proceeds.

Another way Levenger contributes to the world at large is through the natural longevity and sustainability of the products we sell. In a disposable, throw-away world, we still subscribe to the philosophy that products are meant to be used and enjoyed for years. Levenger is well known for its reputation of selling products with lasting, useful value—designed for longevity, made with integrity.

While making money is essential to sustain a business, it is not the only reason a business exists. Conscious businesses are now focusing on purposes beyond mere profit. Levenger is proud to be a part of this awakening movement in its own understated but deliberate and purposeful way.

Which pen design is right for you?

Choosing the right pen for the task at hand is an art as well as a science. Fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint are the three most popular modes. Each writes differently and has its own benefits and drawbacks. Which mode do you prefer? Some writers use more than one mode; others swear by one favorite. Here’s a quick overview of these three popular pen modes:

The Fountain Pen
Using a fountain pen facilitates beautiful handwriting. Calligraphers and artists love the way the fountain pen allows for a demonstrative and articulate writing style. Many writers use a fountain pen to sign letters and documents because they can render their signature with more character, subtlety and flourish than when using other modes.

The modern version of the fountain pen was developed in the late 19th century. Fountain pen ink is held in a reservoir within the barrel of the pen, and the ink is drawn through a metal nib. The fountain pen’s flexible nib allows for its expressive writing style. In most modern fountain pens, the reservoir is either a plastic ink cartridge or a converter that allows you to draw bottled ink. The ink in a fountain pen is water-based, made with dye rather than pigment. This makes the ink relatively slow to dry, and translucent on the page.

A variety of nib sizes are available for most fountain pen designs, allowing more variation of stroke. No pressure is required to make the ink flow—as soon as the nib touches the paper, the ink will flow.

Using a fountain pen requires some little skill and care, but fountain pen users enjoy the little rituals involved in filling the pen, writing at just the right angle, and keeping the nib clean and pristine between uses.

The Ballpoint
At Levenger, we like to call the ballpoint pen the workhorse because it’s ideal for extensive note-taking. Ballpoint ink lasts and lasts; the ink dries quickly, and the pen requires no maintenance. However, the fixed ball limits the ability for expressive penmanship, and the ink can tend to be sticky.

Developed and perfected in the mid-20th century, the ballpoint uses a thick, alcohol-based ink, unlike the water-based ink of a fountain pen. The ink is accessed through a tiny ball at the tip of the ink reservoir. The ink flow is activated by pushing the ball tip into the paper and dragging it along the surface. The writer is required to apply pressure to the paper to get the viscous ballpoint ink to flow.

Ballpoint ink doesn’t seep into the paper, so it can be used on fairly thin sheets, and won’t feather through the surface. As soon as the ink is deposited on the page, it dries quickly, making it less prone to smudging.

The Rollerball
An innovation of the late 20th century, the rollerball combines a few of the benefits of the fountain pen with some of the convenience of the ballpoint. The rollerball’s liquid ink allows much more flexibility of expression than a ballpoint, but is easier to use and maintain than a fountain pen. A rollerball gives your correspondence more character than a ballpoint, but the water-based ink is slow to dry and therefore more prone to smudging and feathering. On the other hand, the ink flows quickly and easily, and rarely skips.

The rollerball offers a liquid write that gives your writing character, similar to a fountain pen but without the fuss. Water-based rollerball ink runs out more quickly than ballpoint ink, and the rollerball’s fixed ball tip offers less flexibility than a fountain pen nib, but for many writers, it’s the perfect compromise. In fact, the rollerball is the most popular pen mode for Levenger customers.

Combining the best of traditional and digital technologies

At Levenger, we love cutting-edge tech gear, but like many people these days, we aim to strike a balance between our active, questing, communicating selves and our mindful, reflective, soulful sides. Digital innovation is important, but so is the tried-and-true “heritage technology” of pen and paper. In fact, they serve different purposes—one does not necessarily replace the other.

“The advantage of our age is not merely new technology, but the productive cooperation of high technology with heritage tools, “ says Levenger CEO Steve Leveen. “Today’s professionals are learning to discern the strengths of both and use them appropriately. For paper and pens are technology, too, and the benefits they bring are all the more visible when used side by side with their digital descendants.”

Circa iPad Foldover

Paper and pen differ from computer screens in key ways…they seem to use different parts of the brain. The digital mind is exploratory, extroverted, collaborative and communicative. The writing mind is more introspective, contemplative and private. We browse, we Tweet and post on Facebook; we comment on blogs and we write reviews, sharing our ideas and connecting with others through the World Wide Web. But when we put pen to paper, it’s a much more personal experience. We make lists, we reflect, we ruminate. We think on paper, and even reveal deep feelings and thoughts that we often never verbalize. No one might see our handwritten notes but ourselves.

Notabilia iPad Folio

Of course, we use both technologies in our daily lives, which is why Levenger is committed to developing a line of products that bring together the best of both paper and screen. Look in your average business professional’s briefcase or bag, and you’ll probably see both a tablet computer and a notebook or portfolio. Levenger’s New Digital Life products aim to do double-duty, housing both of the kinds of tablets you use. These are products that include either a notepad or notebook beside a holder for iPad or e-reader, allowing you to turn from one type of technology to the other with ease.

Popular New Digital Life products from Levenger include the Work & Play iPad Folio, the Circa iPad Foldover Notebook and the Notabilia Leather iPad Folio. We hope you’ll check out these ground-breaking products, designed for enhancing 21st-century productivity…embracing technologies both ancient and modern…and pursuits both inner- and outer-directed.

Work & Play iPad Folio

Though digital technology is more and more prevalent in our lives, most of us still have need of paper and pen, which creates an exciting opportunity for new product development at Levenger. In fact, digital products represent the fastest-growing category in Levenger’s arsenal of organizing solutions. Though Levenger does offer a number of holders and cases for today’s tablets and phones, you can find that type of product other places, too. But Levenger is creating a niche of its own with a unique new line of products that integrate the best of both digital and traditional technologies. At Levenger you can outfit your digital life, while at the same time integrating the physical experience of pen and paper.

The Work & Play iPad Folio is one such product that combines the traditional technology of paper and pen with the digital benefits of the tablet computer. The Work & Play is a fully functional leather case and stand that adjusts to the ideal angle for viewing or typing—just flip the cover up and over. Your device is protected in a magnetically secured leather holder that lifts out when you want to take a photo. But that’s not all: This sleek folio does double-duty as a traditional portfolio, housing one of Levenger’s archival-quality Freeleaf notepads and a loop to hold a favorite pen. (Incidentally, Levenger now offers a pen that includes a stylus tip, the popular L-Tech Plus. ) As with almost all of Levenger’s business portfolios, you can insert the notepad from either end, depending on whether you’re a right- or left-hander. The Work & Play combines the best of both iPad stand and holder and writing folio, all in one sleek, space-saving design.

We surf and stream and browse, we videoconference and we type, but we still take notes by hand, too. Levenger is dedicated to bringing customers the best of both technologies to enhance productivity and efficiency. The Work & Play iPad Folio is just one example—you’ll find many more on Levenger.com.

Hundreds of companies rely on Levenger to supply unique and useful products for their business needs…including corporate gifts and incentives, promotional products proudly bearing the company logo, and everyday office essentials that enhance efficiency and inspire achievement.

The impressive quality and function of Levenger products set them apart from most promotional items—these tools are built to be used and enjoyed over the course of an entire career.

Levenger’s corporate partners enjoy special quantity savings on all Levenger products, including fine writing instruments, leather portfolios, briefcases and totes, desk tools, cases and wallets, and our award-winning Circa note-taking system. The quantity discount (on 10 or more of the same item) for corporate customers is an impressive 20% off the prices marked.

From functional, expertly crafted leather goods and selection of top-brand pens to the popular Circa system and organizing tools, Levenger offers a comprehensive selection of durable, top-quality business gear. Tastefully personalized with your company name or logo, these impressive products help promote the client’s brand while offering superior function. Levenger can put a corporate logo on many products.

Many corporate customers are particularly interested in harnessing the organizing power of the unique Circa note-taking system, which allows the user to remove, rearrange and transfer pages with ease. In addition to the popular Circa Leather Foldover Notebooks, corporate clients often order quantities of our Translucent Circa Notebooks, specially customized for a specific project, meeting or workgroup.

Levenger Professional & Corporate representatives work closely with each client to find the right products to fulfill their needs and expectations within the established budget. Levenger is well known for its excellent personalized service, expert customization, quick turnaround and consistent follow-up. It’s a relationship built on trust—satisfying the customer’s needs is the chief objective, as evidenced by Levenger’s 100% guarantee.

Make your brand stand out with a sleek Levenger product of quality and function—a Professional & Corporate Services representative is there to help. Call 800.357.9991 for more information.

by Julie Morgenstern

Productivity strategist Julie Morgenstern is the author of the New York Times best-seller Time Management from the Inside Out. An in-demand coach and speaker for corporate audiences, Julie may be available for an on-site event at your workplace. Contact us for details.

• Fortify Your Work-Life Balance. Sacrificing your personal life for your job makes you a less effective worker. Planning time off for rejuvenation improves workplace performance by boosting your energy, fueling your creativity and perspective, and increasing your accuracy and patience.

• Capture All Your To-Dos In One Place. Haphazardly scribbling to-dos in a variety of places or relying solely on one’s memory results in overlooked opportunities, misguided efforts and time lost wondering what needs to be done. Having a complete list of to-dos in one place helps you prioritize with confidence and save a minimum of 1 hour a day.

• Crunch Your Container. By shortening your workday by 30 minutes you create the feeling of being on a deadline—and suddenly you’ll eliminate all the little time wasters—unnecessary interruptions, chitchatting, procrastinating, perfecting tasks—that otherwise mindlessly creep into your day.

• Dance Close To The Revenue Line. Making or saving your company is where your greatest value lies. When prioritizing, always start with the tasks closest to the revenue line to clear the decks, reduce your stress, and be better prepared for the inevitable surprises in your day.

• Beware Multi-Tasking. Once thought to increase productivity, multitasking has since been discovered to do the exact opposite. By training yourself to concentrate on one task at a time, you get more done, in less time, and the quality of your work will increase.

Bonus tip from Julie:

• Empower your Subordinates. In this time of doing more, with less, you must resist the urge to do other people’s jobs. Teach team members to make decisions so you’re not constantly inundated with tiny questions. If someone comes to you with a problem they could handle on their own, turn it back around. (“Can you make that call? I won’t be able to get to it for two days” or “Come up with a few solutions, and then let’s meet”).