Georgia's First Lady Sandra Deal was welcomed with open arms and ears yesterday afternoon when she came to Dawson County as part of her childhood reading initiative.

"Reading is one of the most important keystones of our community," Deal said. "If we can get our children reading early and often, we can make sure they graduate and go on to be successful members of society."

The overall goal for Get Georgia Reading is to have all children in Georgia on a path to reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.

The Dawson County Board of Education hosted the luncheon in Deal's honor.

Other guests included WEE Books, Family Connection, the Dawson County Library, local colleges and even Teen Miss Georgia.

Also present to show their support was Sen. Steve Gooch, Rep. Kevin Tanner and members of Doug Collins' office.

Check back to dawsonnews.com and the next edition of the Dawson Community News for the full story and photos of the First Lady of Georgia's visit.