Mervyn's and Oscar de la Hoya issue reading challenge to Laredo children

 

Mervyn's invites kids in fifth grade and under to participate in its "Go places. Read." Club, which is currently underway. Through partnerships with local libraries, Mervyn's is encouraging kids to make reading part of their daily lives and is rewarding them for reading on a regular basis.

Mervyn's is also partnering with Olympic Gold Medalist and six-time world champion Oscar de la Hoya to stress the importance of education and reading. De la Hoya and Mervyn's share the belief that reading is the foundation of learning, and, together, are encouraging families make a daily connection with reading and participate in Mervyn's 2004 "Go places. Read." Club.

Through Mervyn's 2004 "Go places. Read." Club, students ages 11 and under (grades K-5) are encouraged to read six books a month from their local public library. Once they complete each book, the students request a stamp on their Reading Passport from the librarian. Once a student reads six books, they can bring their Reading Passport to any Mervyn's store to redeem a special reward such as a lunch bag, pair of sports binoculars, or a set of juggling balls. The program runs through June 30.

Mervyn's has partnered with the Laredo Public Library for this program. Families may pick up Reading Passports at the Mervyn's store at Mall del Norte and at Laredo Public Library branches, including the Main Library, 1120 E. Calton Rd. ; Bruni Plaza Branch, 1120 San Bernardo Avenue ; and Santo Niño Branch, 2200 Zacatecas Street .

Kids can redeem the April prize at Mervyn's through May 31. The May prize can be redeemed until June 30, when the program ends.

The Laredo Public Library Bookmobile visits local schools on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to further encourage children to discover the joy of reading. For further information regarding the Bookmobile and its schedule, please contact the Laredo Public Library at 956-795-2400.

The "Go places. Read." Club is part of Mervyn's national reading initiative, "Go places. Read." The campaign was developed to support the United States Department of Education's mission to encourage families to make a daily connection with reading. By partnering with local public libraries, Mervyn's hopes to foster a love of reading in school aged children and encourage families to make regular visits to their local public libraries.

The national campaign was developed to support the United States Department of Education's mission to encourage families to make a daily connection with reading. "Go places. Read." helps children and families improve their lives through reading. The program includes reading clubs, book signings with children's authors, partnerships with local schools, libraries, participation in book festivals, book giveaways, and volunteer events.