MECHANIC FALLS — Maine Freemasons sponsor the “Bikes for Books” program to encourage students to read. This year some 90 Masonic Lodges throughout Maine presented nearly 1,000 bicycles to children participating in reading programs in local schools and public libraries.

It’s essential to establish a love for reading early in life. Toward that end, Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls joined with Tyrian Masonic Lodge to bring the “Bikes for Books” program to students in grades kindergarten through six.

The objectives of the program are threefold: first, to increase student reading and comprehension skills; second, to recognize positive student achievements; and third, to provide an attainable goal, with life enhancing results.

Each time students read an age-appropriate book, their name went into a drawing; the more they read, the better their chances of winning a bike and safety helmet. For each book the student read, they had one chance toward the bike drawings. On April 18 at an assembly, one girl and one boy from each grade won a bicycle and a helmet. Approximately 300 students read over 650 books.

Contributions toward next year’s event may be made payable to Tyrian Masonic Lodge and mailed to the lodge at P.O. Box 151, Mechanic Falls, ME 04256. For more information on the program, contact Rudy Kyllonen of Tyrian Lodge at 576-1597 or rkylon@gmail.com. For additional information on freemasonry, visit mainemason.org.

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