Another Successful Year For Mayor Brown’s Kids Summer Program

Mayor Byron W. Brown today celebrated the successful completion of the 6th Annual “Reading Rules! Kids Summer Reading Challenge,” by handing out nearly 900 certificates to students in the City of Buffalo who participated in the 2007 edition of the summer reading program.

“The response to and participation in this reading program is overwhelming,” said Mayor Brown. “I am thrilled that we have increased our participation by almost fifty percent from last year. I commend our students who worked so diligently over the summer to successfully complete the requirements of the program and I thank their parents for providing the students with support and encouragement as they read their books and completed their book summaries.”

As part of the Summer Reading Challenge, each student was required to read 7 books at or above their grade level, write summaries for each book and send them in by the predetermined deadline. Since the program was established in 2001, there have been over 2,500 student completions and 22,000 books read.  Participating students are entering Grades 1 through 9.

“I first started this reading challenge after learning of the declining reading scores on statewide tests among elementary school children,” said Mayor Brown.  “It is my firm belief that in order to succeed, our children must become proficient in reading and writing.  The Summer Reading Challenge is focused directly on that objective and I am pleased that the challenge continues to grow and expand every year.”

This year’s major sponsors included: Angelo Crowell, Buffalo Metropolitan Federal Credit Union, Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation, Police Athletic League of Buffalo, General Mills, M&T Bank, National Fuel, National Grid, Tops Markets and Verizon.  Additional sponsors were: Adventure Landing, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Alternative Information Systems, Borders Stores, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, Buffalo Public Schools, Buffalo Zoo, Citizens Bank, Cold Stone Creamery, D&D Printing, Delaware North Companies, Fisher Price, Good Schools For All, Huntington Learning Center, K-Mart, King Corporate Services, Lasertron, Project Flight, Read to Succeed, Subway at True Bethel, Talking Leaves Books, True Bethel Bookstore, Try-it Distributing Company, and Xtreme Wheels.

The prize pack that each student received included free admission passes to: the Buffalo Zoo and the Buffalo Museum of Science.  All children also received free books, a Reading Rules t-shirt, as well as free ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery, discount coupons to local retailers, boxes of General Mills cereal and much more.

Prizes in the raffle included: a grand prize of a $1,250.00 college scholarship, 8 complete desktop computers, 30 bicycles, CD players, 250 gift certificates, and much more.