JOPLIN, Mo. – A longtime childhood favorite – famed Dr. Seuss book character Cat – visited Freeman Learning Center Thursday morning.

Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Baker, along with Chief Financial Officer Steve Graddy and Freeman Cardiologist Dr. Ryan Longnecker, read their favorite Dr. Seuss books to a group of children inside the learning center, which is available to Freeman employees’ children between 6 weeks and 6 years old.

Stories shared included I’m Not Going to Get Up Today, read by Paula Baker; Oh Say Can You Say, What’s the Weather Today, read by Steve Graddy; and Oh Say Can you Di-No-Saur read by Dr. Longnecker.

They were joined in celebration by the popular top hat-wearing Cat, who appears regularly in programming on Ozarks Public Television’s PBS Kids.

The event was organized by Freeman Health System and the Ozarks Public Television to help promote reading skills and develop the kids’ love of reading, which is fundamental to learning.