Bikes for Books Program is Taking Off: Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 Announces Their Bikes for Books Winner
Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 presents Bikes for Books winner, Milam, with her new bicycle and helmet. Pictured in back, left to right: Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 Junior Warden Brandon Smithy, Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 Assistant Secretary Rick Tweedy, and Shawnee Elementary Principle Ms. Amy Reynolds. Pictured in front: Bikes for Books winner, Milam.
One of Illinois Masonic Children’s Assistance Program’s (IMCAP) newest programs is Bikes for Books. This program is designed to help encourage young readers, as well as a partnership between Illinois Masonic Lodges and schools in their communities. Through the program, students earn tickets that go into a drawing for a new bicycle. This is a program that is all in the Illinois Masonic Lodge’s hands. IMCAP provides the material and will purchase the bicycle, but the “boots on the ground” are all Illinois Masons.
Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 was excited to start this program in their local school and soon set the plan in motion. They decided to offer the program to students in preschool through 5th grade at the Shawnee Elementary School in Wolf Lake, Illinois. Their program ran from February 6th, 2023 through March 3rd, 2023. During that time, an estimated 200 books were read by the students at Shawnee Elementary School. On March 3rd, 2023, Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 Junior Warden Brandon Smithey and Assistant Secretary Rick Tweedy attended the drawing for the Bikes for Books winner. Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 Bikes for Books winner was a preschool student, Milam. After discussing with Milam’s parents, it was determined what type and color of bike she will receive.
IMCAP Director Gale Kilbury got to work finding the perfect bike for Milam. Finally, one was found through the Phoenix Cycles in Carbondale, Illinois. Complete with training wheels and a little basket, the bicycle was bought and was hand-delivered to Milam on March 14th, 2023 by Junior Warden Brandon Smithy and Assistant Secretary Rick Tweedy. Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 was in charge of purchasing the helmet for Milam and made sure to match it perfectly to the new bike.
IMCAP would like to thank Anna-Jonesboro Lodge #111 for their work and commitment to providing brighter futures to children in their communities.
If your Lodge would like to start a Bikes for Books program in your local school, please reach out to IMCAP today to get started. More information about the Bikes for Books program, as well as the application, can be found at https://imcap.org/booksfor-bikes-reading-program