The Pahrump Valley Lions Club wants to ensure students at Floyd Elementary School will maintain their reading skills during summer break.
The service organization purchased brand new books for first through fifth grade students.
Lions Club member Sue Bai said the organization essentially adopted the school for various events and projects throughout the year with the cooperation of Principal Jeff Skelton.
The books were presented during the school’s final ‘Bravo Bobcat’ assembly for the year.
“The idea to adopt Floyd Elementary School was something we have been kicking around at the beginning of the year,” Bai said. “One of our members goes out there on a weekly basis and helps them with the school’s Food For Thought program. This is part of what we do and this is why we do our fundraisers. We give back to our community in many different ways.”
Following the assembly, teachers brought the books back to their respective classrooms and distributed them to their students.
Bai noted that Lions Club members want to instill the importance of maintaining reading skills outside of the classroom.
More than 400 books were purchased by the organization.
“I told the children that it’s so important that they read,” she said. “I know a lot of children probably don’t have their own books to read, so this was a way for everyone to go home for the summer and have something that was their own and they didn’t have to return it.”
Bai also said students were both pleased and proud to receive their books, acquired through the company Scholastic Books.
“We purchased some fun reading books so the kids can share with their friends or siblings but it’s definitely something to call their own,” she said. “The Lions Club was very pleased to be able to do that for these kids. Reading is so very important and there’s still a lot of kids who struggle with it.”
For the past 14 years, the Lions Club also sponsored the Letters to Santa and Breakfast with Santa events each December, along with other altruistic programs and events throughout the year.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @sharrispvt