Buffalo Mayor Announces Kids Summer Reading Challenge

Buffalo NY

05 June, 2020

7:25 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Buffalo: June 3, 2020 Buffalo, N.Y. – Mayor Byron W. Brown is calling on all Buffalo school students to take part in his 2020 Virtual Reading Rules! Kid's Summer Reading Challenge. In a continued effort to help keep our community safe during the COVID-19 emergency, while at the same time continue to help improve our youth's literacy pro ciency skills, Mayor Brown announced that his 19th annual Reading Rules! Kid's Summer Reading Challenge and Awards Ceremony for Champion Readers will take place completely online this year. Today he invites students in grades K-12 from the City of Buffalo and neighboring communities to double up on reading books, and double up on writing book summaries. "My 2020 Virtual Reading Rules! Kids Summer Reading Challenge took a lot of planning and creativity due to the COVID-19 emergency, and we developed new incentives, including fun prizes and awards that will encourage our City's youth to remain engaged in reading and writing all summer long. I thank our generous sponsors for helping us incentivize our youth during these uncertain times to continue to read books and write book summaries during the summer months." Mayor Brown established this significant educational program nineteen years ago when he received alarming statistics about local students who were testing below the New York State average in English Language Arts and Literacy. Since then, over 20,000 children from the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Region have improved their literacy proficiency skills by participating in Reading Rules! Here's how Mayor Brown's 2020 Virtual Reading Rules! Challenge will work. Every student who reads 10 books plus writes 10 book summaries, between June 1 and August 14, 2020, will be eligible to win even more amazing Raffle Prizes in July & August + BONUS Prizes at Mayor Brown's Virtual Graduation & Awards Ceremony on Saturday, August 29, 2020. EVERY STUDENT CAN BECOME A CHAMPION READER BY COMPLETING FOUR EASY STEPS. Step One Download the Reading Rules Brochure at www.buffalony.gov Select 10 Books per Student! Free Books and Free Online Resources for E-Books are available at www.buffalony.gov Free Book Giveaways will be announced in June on Mayor Brown's Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram Free Book Giveaways will also be announced at buffalopal.com, PAL Facebook, Twitter, Instagram STEP TWO Complete Challenge 1 Read 5 Books between June – July 6, 2020 Write 5 Book Summaries Upload 5 Book Summaries by July 6, 2020 deadline at www.buffalony.gov Register for the first Raffle Prize drawing contest (Raffle prizes will be drawn on July 10, 2020 and mailed to winners) STEP THREE Complete Challenge 2 Read 5 Books between July – August 14, 2020 Write 5 Book Summaries Upload 5 Book Summaries by August 14, 2020 deadline at www.buffalony.gov Register for the second Raffle Prize drawing contest (Raffle prizes will be drawn on August 17, 2020 and mailed to winners). STEP FOUR Receive a special message from Mayor Brown on becoming an official Champion Reader with automatic entry into Mayor Brown's Deluxe Raffle featuring Amazing Prizes to include Bicycles, Bike Helmets, Laptops, Kindles, Fitbits, Backpacks filled with school supplies, and gift cards to Dick's, Target, and more amazing stores! Tune in to watch Mayor Brown's Online Graduation & Awards Ceremony for Champion Readers, scheduled for Sat, August 29, 2020 (10am – Noon) at www.buffalony.gov Every Champion Reader will receive a 2020 Reading Rules Diploma, as well as a Bonus Prize Envelope filled with an assortment of prizes. Mayor Brown stated, "As we enter the recovery phase of the COVID-19 emergency, I want to make sure that no one is left out and that no one is left behind. This summer, I want to do all I can to encourage our youth, particularly those who reside in our under-served communities, to sharpen their reading skills. 20 minutes of reading per day can help increase literacy and a lifelong love for reading, writing, and learning." Sponsors of Mayor Brown's 2020 Virtual Reading Rules! include: The City of Buffalo Police Athletic League of Buffalo, Inc. Buffalo Public Schools Say Yes to Education-Buffalo Project Flight Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Buffalo Bison's Charitable Foundation AT&T Roswell Park M&T Bank VARIETY – The Children's Charity Veolia Buffalo Bills GBUAHN Buffalo Metro Federal Credit Union Ellicott Development Ferguson Electric Buffalo Pedal Tours Target Walmart First Niagara Foundation KeyBank Bank of America Russell's & Salvatore's Grand Hotel Douglas Development National Grid National Fuel Read to Succeed Anderson's BlueCross BlueShield of WNY Phillips Lytle LLP Tops Friendly Markets Lamparelli Construction LaBella DiDonato Associates Dansa D'Arata Soucia DASH's William Mattar, Esq. Ingram Micro Albright-Knox Fidelis Care Mister Pizza Paula's Donuts Friends of Masiello The Gillespie Family Foundation Michael J. Flaherty, Jr., Esq. Christopher Eberle Buffalo Teacher's Federation This press release was produced by the City of Buffalo. The views expressed here are the author's own.