Again, this year the Ellicottville Memorial Library is conducting a five-week Summer Reading Program for the youth of our community. For the last thirteen years, the Bob McCarthy Foundation has provided a grant allowing the library to hire a local student serving as our Summer Intern and this year we have chosen Cameron Kaleta (we try to hire a senior in high school or a student currently attending college). We are so appreciative for this funding which not only benefits the children, but also provides valuable, paid work experience for the intern.
The Library develops this program every year because we know that fostering a love of reading in children is vital. Through the use fun activities, challenges, and awesome incentives we motivate children to read. This in turn has the added benefit of helping children maintain their reading skills over the summer. The Summer Intern has made a huge difference by allowing us to develop and provide increased programs and activities to the 100+ children that sign up each summer.
The program began on July 8th and will continue until August 11th. Children are welcome to sign up at any point during that time. The national theme for this summer is “Adventure Begins at Your Library” and we will be focusing on adventures of many kinds. Each week will have its own mini theme such as adventure in the mountains, adventure in the ocean and adventure in the Savannah. Join in the fun while playing mini golf, completing a scavenger hunt, and creating a terrarium, just to name a few. Meanwhile as the children read, they earn tickets to try and win some great prizes – a tent, a fishing pole, sky high passes, Legos, etc. Most of the prizes were donated by some very caring individuals in our wonderful community. Speaking of a wonderful community, we are truly grateful to the Bob McCarthy Foundation which is an exceptional organization that changes lives, lifts people up and whose members work tirelessly to make this community a better place.