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Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk Supports Avery County Elementary Students With Distribution of Books

Some 27 years ago members of the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk adopted a program that was meant to support literacy and learning for the children of Avery County.  Club members, then and now, value books and recognize their importance to young learners. 

This year, as the club celebrates its 50th birthday, today’s members also celebrate the current 2018 distribution of Reading Is Fundamental books.  By donating some 3,000 to 4,000 books every year the club has distributed almost 100,000 books!  For 27 years, every Pre-K through fifth grader has gotten to choose three books for his or her very own, to take home and keep.

The first of four distributions for 2018 excited eager readers, as they selected a recreational reading book of special interest to them. 

Soft cover Scholastic books arrived in the Avery Schools in February.  Two additional give-away days will take place this academic year.  A special hard cover book gifting is scheduled for the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, as part of the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk Golden Jubilee Celebration. 

Featured in photographs are children from three of the classrooms at Banner Elk Elementary during the March 1 distribution.  Kiwanians joined students from Gwyn Ellington’s fifth grade, Shannon Silver’s fourth grade and Heather Furr’s first grade as they selected books.  As with all of Avery County’s elementary schools, students will receive two additional books before the summer vacation. 

Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk President Jeff Davis assisted fifth grade students from Banner Elk Elementary School in selecting Reading Is Fundamental books. This favorite Kiwanis project provides recreational reading books free of charge to local Pre-K-5th grade students. Eager readers (left-to-right) are Nicole Hernandez-Magana, Logan Allen Stevens and Samuel Alan Burleson.

 

Kiwanian Kathy Boone and Lillian Bradley-Hendricks (left-to-right)
Top left-to-right: Brianna Richelle McKinney, Joyce Ella Johnson Bottom left-to-right; Tatum Chuan-Bai Hicks, Kaydence Aaleigha Menifee
Avid reader and Kiwanian Ann Swinkola helped first graders from the Banner Elk Elementary School select high interest books through the Reading Is Fundamental program. Students were delighted to learn that the books were free gifts from the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk. Better yet, the books could be taken home as personal property. Students (left-to-right) are Gracyn Ali Greer, Sophia Marie Schmidinger, Elijah Boggs McPhail and Eliza Marie Ledford.

 

Left-to-right: Carlie Elise Zoellner, Emma Grace Upthagrove, Charity Hope Smith Seated adult is Amy Fortune…librarian/media specialist. Standing adult is Kiwanian Ann Swinkola.