DALTON, Ga. — Hubert Marsh choked up at times Saturday as he read from an essay his daughter Willisa wrote during her senior year at Dalton High School.

“As a young child, I admired many different things about the people in my home, church, school and community,” he read. “The people I admired taught me diligence, respect for myself and others, faith, communicating with others in a positive way and peaceful ways to deal with problems. They taught me to have a positive attitude and a kind outlook on life because everybody is somebody.”

On Saturday, for the sixth year in a row, the Marsh family celebrated Willisa’s birthday — Feb. 9 — by the Encouraging Literacy Through the Community event in front of a packed audience at Dalton’s Mack Gaston Community Center in Dalton.

Willisa, a 1996 Dalton High School graduate and a 2000 Berry College graduate, died in 2013 at 36. She was an elementary school teacher at Varnell and Valley Point schools and the event celebrated her passion for learning and for teaching.

There are two scholarships in her name at the college and one at Dalton High School, her father said.

“It has always been such a blessing,” said her mother, Minnie Marsh.

Willisa’s cousin, Jocelyn Willis Richards, welcomed people to the event. She said that Willisa had donated her vast collection of children’s books to the Emery Center, Dalton’s African-American heritage center. Before Willisa’s death, the two had been planning to read books to children at the Emery Center. After Willisa’s death, the family decided to continue with that plan and hold an event in honor of her.

One of the readers Saturday was Sheila Evans, who was principal of Roan School when Willisa was a student there.

“She was so cheerful,” she said. “She always had a smile. She was a good student. She loved to read. She loved school. She was just a little ray of sunshine.”

Evans read “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper.

Evans said she chose it because it was a favorite of her sons.

“It sends a good message — always think you can, try hard, never give up,” she said. “Children need to know that they can achieve things if they put their minds to it.”

Carolyn Cooper was a neighbor of the Marsh family when Willisa was a child.

“They were great neighbors and a great family,” she said. “I was really flattered that they asked me to take part in this.”

Cooper read “I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!” by Dr. Seuss, a book that features the Cat in the Hat teaching his son to read.

“It really teaches that it is fun to read and that it is good to learn,” she said. “I hope that the children here today will learn that lesson and instead of being on those computer games all the time that they will learn to enjoy reading.”

Ann Piscitelli brought her grandchildren.

“They were excited about coming. They had a great time. They loved the stories,” she said.

Piscitelli said she and Minnie Marsh have been “best friends since high school.”

“They are a wonderful family. You can’t find better people, and I’m so happy that so many people came out here today to support them and to support a cause that is very important to them,” she said.

After the event, family members and participants released purple balloons. Family members said purple was Willisa’s favorite color from childhood.