Fairfield boy Henry Broz wins bicycle in drawing for summer reading program

FAIRFIELD – Nine-year-old Henry Broz reads every night before bed, and on Aug. 30 he was rewarded for his commitment to reading with a brand new bicycle.

Henry won the drawing for a new bike, which was the grand prize in the Fairfield Public Library’s Summer Reading Program. Fairfield’s local Masonic Lodge, Clinton Lodge No. 15, sponsored the new bicycle just as it has done for the summer reading program for many years. On Friday afternoon, Henry picked out his favorite bike from The Ride in Fairfield, and later met with representatives from the Masonic Lodge and Fairfield Youth Services Librarian Sara Martindale.

Martindale said Henry qualified for the bicycle drawing by reaching the “stretch goal” of reading 1,200 minutes for the summer reading program, which lasted from early June to the end of July. She said more than 400 kids entered the program, and 74 of them reached the stretch goal. She said about 40 percent of participants read 600 minutes. She said 30 percent of participants reached that same goal last year, so she’s happy to see improvement.

“Reading over the summer prevents what they call ‘summer slide,’” Martindale said. “Kids lose learning that they acquired during the school year, but reading over the summer helps them retain what they’ve learned in school.”

Henry, the son of Frank and Kimberly Broz, said his favorite book series include The Lord of the Rings and The Adventures of Tintin. Kimberly said that both of Henry’s grandmothers have read to him a lot since a young age, and one of them even signed Henry up for the summer reading program. Frank added that Henry enjoys graphic novels, and the Fairfield library has a great selection of graphic novels for kids.

Martindale said that one of the ways the library encouraged kids to keep reading over the summer was by giving them a badge and a little prize for every hour they logged. When they reached 600 minutes of reading, they got a free book, and if they reached 1,200 minutes, they got a second free book. That’s in addition to the free book they receive when they sign up.

Dave Thebodo, a member of Clinton Lodge No. 15, said literacy is very important to club, and “the library is all about literacy.” Member Steve Arndt said the Founding Fathers believed everyone should become educated, and they regarded literacy with high importance. Member Wally DeVasier added that Benjamin Franklin was both a Mason and the founder of public libraries.

In addition to sponsoring the bicycle for the summer reading program, Clinton Lodge No. 15 awards $2,500 per year to local high school students going to college. At the state level, the club awards $225,000 in scholarships annually. Francis Mossé, Master of the Lodge, added that the club donates about $1 million annually as a global organization.

The Fairfield chapter of the club has about 50 members. Arndt said the building it’s in, on Grimes Avenue, was built in 1915 with the help of Henry Ford, who was also a Mason. The ground floor was a Ford dealership and the second floor was the Masons’ meeting hall.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com