Program reaches 13,000 books
<p>Katlyn Wittenbrock, 7, a first grader at Sorenson Elementary School, smiles as North Idaho College’s Wrestling Coach Keri Stanley starts to read “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” on Thursday morning. Every year, NIC’s Wrestling Team raises money to buy books for kids to have material to read over the summer.</p>
<p>In the 14 years NIC wrestlers and their coaches have been part of the reading program, 13,000 books have been given to young readers.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Jaws dropped and looks of astonishment covered the faces of several first-graders Thursday morning when North Idaho College's head wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb told them about the Shirley Parker Reading Program.
"At the end of today, when we walk out of this building, we will have given away 13,000 books," he said. "So 13,000 boys and girls just like you over the years have received a book to keep to go home and read again and again and again."
About 40 students from Maureen Woitas' and Holly Weymouth's classes at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities were split into five groups in the school's multipurpose room.
Whitcomb, NIC assistant wrestling coach Keri Stanley, Mayor Steve Widmyer, Coeur d'Alene School District Superintendent Matt Handelman and NIC human resources director Laura Hill read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" to their groups of youngsters.
"My favorite part was when the mouse was sweeping," said Becca McLachlan, 7. "He got carried away sweeping the house."
Woitas, a teacher at Sorensen for 15 years, said the reading program is great because it provides an opportunity for the students to interact with male role models from the community in the elementary school environment, which tends to be dominated by women.
"The most exciting part is to have these role models, like the superintendent, coach, mayor and another coach," she said. "The boys love wrestlers, so it really intrigues the boys. It's really, really good for them."
The 13,000-book milestone comes 14 years after the reading program was established. NIC's wrestling team holds a fundraiser at the end of the preseason to benefit the program. About $1,000 is raised to purchase a book for each first-grader in the district, to be hand-delivered by NIC wrestlers throughout the school year. When a landmark event occurs within the program, such as reaching large numbers like 3,000 or 13,000 books, community leaders are called in to take part.
"We've been the recipient of this important event a few times at Sorensen," Woitas said. "So it's pretty special."
Whitcomb addressed the kids after the groups finished reading. He told them that while wrestlers like to win national titles, academics are still a top priority.
"My wrestlers can't wrestle for me unless they do well in school," Whitcomb said. "We think that starting reading early is so important."
Each student received a copy of "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer," which 6-year-old Zoey Evans started reading immediately.
"I'm on the third page," said Zoey, who was in Widmyer's reading group.
Joceline Petit, 6, was in Handelman's group.
"I think that it's fun having them come in to read us stories," Joceline said.
The Shirley Parker Reading Program was established in 2000 by the NIC wrestling program in partnership with Parker Toyota to honor owner Doug Parker's late wife, Shirley, a community supporter and NIC wrestling fan.
Hudson Kramer, 7, said it was a really good event.
"We got to read one of my favorite books and we got a new book," he said.