DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – Darlington Raceway worked alongside the Darlington County School District Friday to encourage children to do some reading this summer.
Almost 7,000 students in Kindergarten through eighth grade participate in the program. This year, students in Lamar and Society Hill received free books from South Carolina Future Minds.
“We would like to help these kids continue reading during the summer so that they don’t slide back so that when they go back to first grade, they’re still on reading level,” said Debbie Jones, SC Future Minds Assistant Director.
Over the summer, students are prompted to read books and take online Accelerated Reader tests at the local library. Each grade level has specific point goals, and every student that achieves their goal will be rewarded with a field trip.
“We want our local children to excel in school and grow up to make a positive impact in the world we live in,” Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp said in a press release. “We are more than happy to utilize our resources at the track to encourage a child to read more and improve their education.”
The top three readers in each grade will receive a special trip to the Darlington Raceway for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the track’s legendary Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 race weekend.
