“Bikes for Books” visits Wells Elementary School

Post date: Apr 11, 2016 10:25:57 AM

What seven or eight year-old boy and girl wouldn’t like a brand new bike for summer? It’s easy to assume that most would. At an assembly on April 6th, Wells Elementary School first and second graders were introduced to the "Bikes for Books" bicycle giveaway program sponsored by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Maine and the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation.

According to a program brochure this is a statewide initiative “to foster literacy programs in schools and encourage healthy exercise.” In the next two months students who participate have a good chance to win a new bike through reading because in this contest, the more books a student reads the better his or her chances are of winning a bike are.

According to Bonnie Esty, a literacy teacher at WES and coordinator of the Bikes for Books program there, along with Claire Tusch of Ocean Lodge #142, participation in the program is “easy”. Essentially a student reads a school approved book, fills out a slip that includes a brief book report and then places the form into a box in their classroom for a drawing later at a school assembly.

The deadline for reading is June 10th. During the week of June 13th a boy and a girl’s name will be drawn from each of the nine 1st and 2nd grade classrooms at WES.

“The Masons will be providing 18 bikes with helmets and t-shirts,” commented Esty. “The drawings will take place in June just before school gets out. This gives them about two months of reading!”

From left are Claire Tusch, Bonnie Esty, WES Principal, Marianne Horne, Jake Wiggin and Dan Fink. Wiggin and Fink are also Masons and are with the Bikes for Books program.