07/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/09/2024 07:15
Buffalo, NY - City officials were pleased to honor Mayor Byron Brown's newest class of Champion Readers, who gathered at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center today with their families as part of the 23rd Annual Reading Rules! Summer Reading Challenge. This year, nearly 1,700 students in grades K-12 successfully completed Mayor Brown's summer reading challenge. Nearly 30,000 Champion Readers have completed the challenge since 2006.
"Every year I am pleased with our champion readers who productively and wisely used their summer to prepare for the next school year," said Mayor Brown. "23 years and going strong, my summer reading challenge continues to help increase literacy in our community. It is critical that our youth continue to learn, even during the summer, and Reading Rules provides them with wonderful incentives to do just that."
Mayor Brown continued, "It's amazing how my Summer Reading Challenge has grown and evolved over the past two decades. As I continue to build an inclusive and equitable City of Buffalo, I want all of our youth to continue to strengthen their reading skills during the summer months. Once again, we partnered with the Buffalo Public Schools, with great support from the West Herr Automotive Group, in an effort to maximize the reading potential of our youth and encourage their developmental success. Nearly 30,000 students have completed my Summer Reading Challenge since I established this program, and they have discovered that reading can be fun, exciting, and rewarding! 20 minutes of reading per day can help increase literacy and a lifelong love for learning."
Participation in this year's program was open to any child in any public, parochial, private or charter school entering grades K-12 in any school district. Each child who successfully participated in Mayor Brown's Reading Rules! Kid's Summer Reading Challenge gained automatic entry into his deluxe raffle featuring great prizes donated by area businesses and cultural organizations, including Children's Books, Teen Literature, Books, Academic Supplies, Educational Prizes, Laptops, Bicycles, smartphones and more.
During the awards ceremony, Aitina Fareed-Cooke, Buffalo Poet Laureate and founder of Get Fokus'd Productions, presented a powerful poetic visual tribute, that coincided with the start of the new academic year in Buffalo. Produced, Directed and Written by Aitina Fareed-Cooke, and filmed and edited by Alex Rojé Felix of Earthbound Films, the heartfelt message aimed to empower and inspire students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community leaders to maximize their efforts in education and leadership. To watch the video, please use the following YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/W2_GWVbggvo.
The "Community Cast Members" featured a diverse group of Buffalo Public School teachers, parents, and students, including: Lisa Latempa, James Dubenion, Miles Williams, Rob "CarolinahBlu" Herrod, Christien Herrod, Chris Hufnagel, Gavin Hufnagel, Penelope Hufnagel, and David Paonessa. For more information, go to www.getfokusdproductions.com
Mayor Brown's Reading Rules Challenge is made possible through the generosity of the following sponsors and partners.
Presenting Sponsor
West Herr Automotive Group
Supporting Sponsors
Say Yes to Education Buffalo
Mayor Byron W. Brown and the City of Buffalo
Buffalo Public Schools
Breakfast and Beverage Sponsors
AT&T
Buffalo Bisons Charitable Foundation
Delaware North
Ingram Micro
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Prize Station Sponsors
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Sabres Foundation
Univera Healthcare
National Grid
Book Nook Sponsors
Best Self
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Buffalo Teachers Federation
Superhero Alliance
Tops Friendly Markets
Mister Pizza
Kids Activity Stations Sponsors
Legends
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Bank on Buffalo
Highmark Western New York
Fidelis Care
Literacy Sponsors
Phillips Lytle LLP
Variety - The Children's Charity of Buffalo and WNY
In Kind Sponsors
Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens
Wegmans
Project Flight
Andersons
Paula's Donuts
Mayor Brown started Reading Rules! in 2001 when he was a New York State Senator to help increase literacy in the Buffalo and Western New York area. During his tenure as Mayor, nearly 30,000 Champion Readers in Buffalo have completed the challenge since 2006.