Masons encourage area students to read for a ride through Bikes for Books
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
MILO — For the last several months, students across the region have been busy reading books or having selections read to them in an effort to win a brand new bicycle. Area Masonic lodges have been encouraging the pupils through the annual Bikes for Books program, as students can enter a drawing to win a bicycle for every finished book.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
I WANT TO RIDE MY (NEW) BICYCLE — Fourteen Milo Elementary School students had their names pulled out in the seventh annual Bikes for Books drawing on April 15. The region’s Masonic Lodges have encouraged youth reading as for every book students read or had read to them over the last few months, they could enter their name in a drawing to win a brand new bicycle. Bike drawings were held in Milo and at Brownville Elementary and Piscatauquis Community Elementary School in Guilford on April 15, with the SeDoMoCha School presentation taking place a week prior in Dover-Foxcroft and a program scheduled for later in the year in Greenville.
On April 15 students at the Milo Elementary School had a chance to win a bicycle with a boy and a girl in each grade having their names pulled out during an all-school assembly. Masons from Piscataquis 44 of Milo and Pleasant River 163 in Brownville — the Brownville Elementary Bikes for Books event took place in the afternoon — were on hand as were Anah Shrine clowns Diggah and Gizmo.
Master of Ceremonies Scott Hoyle — who was pestered by Diggah and Gizmo throughout his presentation which was then met by laughter from the students sitting on the multi-purpose room floor — explained the Milo Elementary girls read 711 books and the boys totaled 639. “You all read 1,350 books,” Hoyle said, to start a round of applause.
“We are Masons and we have lodges, one is in Brownville and one is in Milo,” he said. “This is our seventh year doing this.” Hoyle said the Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union has provided financial support for the program, and the Three Rivers Kiwanis of Milo/Brownville is assisting with helmets.
“If you are lucky enough to win a bike, make sure you take home a helmet,” Hoyle said.
The drawings then began with pre-K as a girl and boy had their names drawn from a box full of entries. The various bicycle winners also got to pull out the next recipient’s name until 14 bikes had been given away. Students who may not have needed or wanted a new bicycle could choose to give their prize to someone else.
Nearly every Lodge in the Fifth Masonic Lodge District encouraged reading through Bikes for Books. Earlier on Friday morning students at Piscataquis Community Elementary School in Guilford had their names drawn thanks to Mount Kineo 109 of Guilford and Abner Wade 207 of Sangerville.
On April 8 lucky SeDoMoCha School students were picked to receive bikes from Mosaic 52 of Dover-Foxcroft and later in the school year students in Greenville will have the opportunity to have their names drawn through Columbia-Doric 149’s Bikes for Books.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
BIKES FOR BOOKS — Present for the Milo Elementary Bikes for Books presentation on April 15 were Anah Shrine Clowns, from left, Gizmo and Diggah and area Masons Herb Libby, Dennis Green, Gregory Russell, Scott Hoyle and David Pullen.