MANSFIELD, Ohio – Mansfield Mavericks basketball player Michael Morgan expressed the importance of reading to children at the United Way’s Big Red Bookshelf event Monday in honor of the national MLK Day of Service.
“Reading will be important no matter what you do in life,” the North Central State College freshman said. He then compared reading and basketball.
“You have to read to be successful,” Morgan said. “It’s like practicing to get better at basketball.”
The Big Red Bookshelf project is the United Way of Richland County‘s signature program, Executive Director Dan Varn said. There are eight bright red bookshelves at various buildings in Richland County where young children ages birth to third grade often visit with their parents.
“The books are available for children to take, read, or keep if they’d like, or return and get more,” Varn told parents and children in the comfortably crowed gymnasium of the Mansfield Area YMCA. “We are able to restock these bookshelves because of the generous donations from around the community.”
Varn also stressed the importance of literacy for children in the community.
“Studies have shown empirically and without doubt that a child that reads well by the end of the third grade is going to be farther ahead than a child that age who has not,” he said. “We are proud today to promote reading.”
Embracing reading a new book with a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin or friend, Varn said, can promote a bond or love for reading.
“I have a young nephew that’s almost two years old and I read him a book a few weeks ago about scabs,” he said as some children chuckled. “It was a chance that we got to read together.”
Cristen Gilbert, Chief Executive Officer of the Mansfield Area Y, said the facility offers several development opportunities for children, but the role of childcare provider is the most important and has the most impact.
“We are the largest childcare provider in Richland County, serving over 500 children a year,” she said. “We teach those children…we teach them building blocks to move on towards literacy. We think literacy is very important and by having the Big Red Bookshelf, that certainly helps promote literacy.”
April Hedrick, community outreach coordinator for United Way, talked about the Mansfield/Richland county Public Library’s Read Aloud program. Parents and children are encouraged to read to each other for at least 15 minutes a day, every day. Visit readaloud.org for information.
Kevin Davis Jr., Mavs basketball player who attends The Ohio State University at Mansfield(OSU-M) , said it felt good to read to young children.
“It makes me feel like a role model,” he said.
Terrance Deener said he remembered being read to when he was a youngster. “Whenever you make it, giving back is a first priority,” he said.
Mansfield Mavericks cheerleader Taylor Ford said she enjoyed reading to a group of girls. She made her group interactive by asking them questions and having them yell back answers in cheerleader fashion.
“I love reading,” the OSU-M student said. “Reading is so important for future generations. I love giving back to the community.”
The cheerleaders got the crowd warmed up with spirit-filled cheers and a dance.
Pizza was provided by STARTEK, Jones Potato Chip Company provided chips, Richland Bank provided bottles of water, OSU-M provided a giveaway and First Alliance Church provided extra tables and chairs. Fruit and cookies were also available.
The book, “Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type” by Doreen Cronin was read and given to all children in attendance. Children also got autographs from the players and cheerleaders, as well as vice versa.
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“I love reading,” said Mavericks cheerleader Taylor Ford. “Reading is so important for future generations. I love giving back to the community.”
