“Bikes for Books” to give away 50 bikes to lucky readers at WES

Post date: Mar 03, 2017 7:10:25 PM

Once again, the Grand Lodge of Masons in Maine and the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation is featuring its popular “Bikes for Books” literacy program to encourage more reading among elementary school students.

For the second year, Ocean Lodge No. 142 is bringing the program to Wells Elementary School and will give away 50 bicycles along with helmets and tee shirts to a boy and girl from each of the school’s first through fourth grade classrooms.

Over a three-month period, students will read school approved books that interest them. Each book read will allow a student to enter a drawing for a bicycle. The more books read, the greater the chance of winning a bike when names are drawn in each classroom at the end of the program in early June. Last year, over 2,000 books were read by first and second grade students at WES and 18 students received a bike in time for summer.

At WES this program is being coordinated with Ocean Lodge by Literary Specialist Bonnie Esty who is also an advisor with Trendsetters, a program of the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation. According to a Bikes for Books brochure, the program is a statewide initiative “to foster literacy programs in schools and encourage healthy exercise.”

At a “kick off assembly at WES on February 28, 2017 are (left to right) Claire V. Tusch DVM, CVA (Past Grand Master of Masons in Maine), Kenneth Creed (Past Master of Ocean Lodge #142, Wells), Michael Cataldi (Senior Steward, Ocean Lodge #142), Wayne Smith (Past Master of Ocean Lodge #142), Timothy Yates (Past Master of Ocean Lodge #142), WES Principal Chris Roche and Alan Martin (Current Master of Ocean Lodge #142). Missing from the photo is John Howarth also of Ocean Lodge #142.