Several hundred people kids and adults alike flocked to Globe Life Park on Sunday afternoon to collect their prizes and take part in festivities as a reward for achieving goals in the annual Summer Reading Club, which ended July 30.
The library designed the program to encourage children to read throughout summer vacation. Kids who continue to read during summer are more likely to stay on grade-level and be prepared for the upcoming school year. The Final Celebration is a way to applaud kids' progress and allow the library to create a positive memory associated with reading, which hopefully boosts children's desire to read even more.
More than 9,780 children, teens, and adults participated in the 2016 Summer Reading Club, with the library exceeding its participation goals in every age group, officials said.
Gladys Buffone's two children have been participating in the Summer Reading Club since before her youngest, now 9, could read. When school is out, the family visits the Southwest Library Branch weekly.
'It's been a really great program that encourages kids to read, ' Buffone said. Speaking about her own, she added, 'They already love to read, but this is great because they get little prizes and they look forward to the celebration. '
She also highlighted that her kids understand the importance of reading year-round when they take tests at school that measure their reading levels. Both are testing above their respective grade's reading level, so her children see the direct impact reading has on their success in the classroom.
The Rangers donated the use of the Globe Life Park for the event for the third year in a row. Kids enjoyed a myriad of activities in the air-conditioned Kids Zone, including autographs from the baseball team's mascot Rangers Captain, face painting, frozen treats, a clown, a juggler, a climbing wall and indoor playground. The Dallas Wings Flight Crew was also there, teaching the kids how to dance and playing musical games.
While the children ran around the Kids Zone, adults were not left out of the Summer Reading Club. Those that read five hours between June 4 and July 30 were able to enjoy food, music and the view of the baseball diamond from the Hyundai Club, as well as pick up the pathtags if they participated in the 2016 Geocaching Challenge.
The library also announced the winner of the coveted Family Staycation package, which went to Michelle Draper, an avid ebook reader. She received certificates to 10-plus local food, entertainment and lodging establishments.
Summer Reading Club, Support Quality Education
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