CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) – Coastal Carolina University partnered with United Way for its Caring for Kindergartners program Thursday. CCU student athletes read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to kindergartners in 118 classes in 24 schools across Horry County.
“Being able to come back and read to someone just to make their day is why I do it.” CCU football player Randall Drayton said.
Drayton participated in the reading day for the first time this year. It’s a program he didn’t have growing up.
“I didn’t have it as a child and I know that I would love for someone to come and read to me and just talk to me. You know basically you know that other people care. Just even as a little kid stuff like that matters,” Drayton said.
It’s something the teachers at Waccamaw Elementary School say makes a difference to the students long after the athletes have left. Sarah Casademont is a Coastal Carolina University alumna and says it means a lot to see the students giving back to the community.
“They’re so excited they love it, a lot of these kids don’t really get to see that stuff. They don’t go to the football games very often or anything so it means a lot to them,” Kindergarten teacher Sarah Casademont said.
“I feel like being that we have such an impact on little kids and little kids are mainly important and this is an early stage in their life where they’re very influential and we’re positive people. So they’ll be influenced by positive people is going to transpire throughout their life and I feel like it’ll help people go down the right path,” Drayton said.
This is the 13th year for the Caring for Kindergartners program. The kindergartners paid it forward by decorating cards that will be delivered to Horry County’s homebound, mostly the elderly, who receive home-delivered meals.
