Fairfield library awards bicycle to winner of Summer Reading Challenge

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Public Library concluded its Summer Reading Challenge on Wednesday, Aug. 30 with the awarding of its grand prize, a brand new bicycle from The Ride in Fairfield.

The winner of the bicycle was 14-year-old Addison Winters, who was among those who read more than 1,200 minutes. In all, 346 children participated in the Summer Reading Challenge, and collectively they logged more than 3,813 hours of reading over the summer.

Fairfield Youth Services Librarian Sara Martindale said that Winters was one of 73 readers who logged more than 1,200 minutes, earning the Super Reading Badge and making them eligible for the drawing for the new bike. The bike prize was sponsored by Mark Smith, owner of The Ride, the Fairfield Masonic Lodge, and Summer Reading Challenge program donors.

Martindale said readers kept track of their reading time through a smartphone app called Beanstack. They received a free book for signing up, when they completed 600 minutes and when they completed 1,200 minutes.

“Thanks to our donors, we gave out 615 books to those participating in the summer reading program,” Martindale said. “In addition to books, participants received a badge, a small prize and a raffle entry for bigger prizes like gift cards and toys for each hour that they read this summer.”

Martindale said she’s thankful to the families and day campers who attended library events this summer, checked out books, and tracked their reading through the Summer Reading Challenge.

“I greatly appreciate community members, youth, library staff, and organizations like Southeast Iowa Sierra Club and ISU Extension and Outreach, who helped me run the events this summer, and prepare crafts and supplies,” Martindale said. “Finally, there were many local businesses and organizations that chipped in to sponsor the Summer Reading Challenge. This was a community effort in support of encouraging the youth of Fairfield to create a reading habit, and everyone should be proud of the outcome.”

Bicycle-winner Addison Winters said reading is one of her favorite hobbies, and that she tries to read about a chapter every day. Her favorite genres are fantasy and romance, and one of her favorite book series is Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas.

“This friend and I went to the library three times a week over the summer,” Winters said.

Winters is going into her freshman year at Fairfield High School. Her favorite subject is English, and her favorite extracurricular activity is band. She said she was thrilled when she learned she had won the bike in the raffle drawing.

“A bike was something I had been asking my dad for,” Winters said. “I was excited and shocked. It’s actually the second bike I’ve won in my life. The first was for a fundraiser we did in elementary school.”

This is the third year the Masonic Lodge has sponsored the bike prize. The group’s treasurer, Wally DeVasier, said the Masons are steeped in education, and they believe everyone deserves a good education.

“Reading is fundamental in educating yourself,” DeVasier said. “We do other donations in the community, and this is one that we gear to children. Every spring, the Masons give away $210,000 in Iowa for scholarships.”