Claire’s Award for Reading Excellence (C.A.R.E. Award) was established in 2002 by the Claire’s Day, Inc. committee and its founders, Brad and Julie Rubini, in honor of their daughter, Claire Lynsey Rubini. Claire was an avid reader when she unexpectedly died of a misdiagnosed heart condition in July 2000. She was just 10 years old. Claire’s father, Brad wanted to ensure Claire’s Day would reflect something special that he and Claire shared. She loved to read, while he did not. When Claire was seven years old, she noticed a significant flaw of her father’s. She asked, “Daddy, why are you reading the words wrong?” That question stung. It forced him to explain to her that he has a reading disability: he is dyslexic.

That difference inspired Brad to create the Most Improved Reader Award, which became the C.A.R.E. Awards (Claire’s Award for Reading Excellence), honoring the journey of young readers overcoming challenges and celebrating progress in reading.

C.A.R.E. Awards recognize students who have struggled and demonstrated marked improvement in their reading skills over the course of a school year. Perhaps the student has received reading interventions or has made significant progress on STAR or other standardized assessments. Another factor to be considered in nominating students for a C.A.R.E. Award would be their increased motivation to read. A C.A.R.E. Award nominee is not the best reader in the class, but the student who has made the most reading improvement in your classroom.

The awards ceremonies will happen at one of our two Claire’s Day events this year: Toledo (5/2/2026) and Maumee (5/16/2026).