Martinsville students celebrate the gift of reading with a big book donation from WRTV

MARTINSVILLE Ind. — Students at South Elementary School gathered in their gymnasium today for a big pep rally.

Today, each student at the communications school got to select three brand new Scholastic books from shelves to take home.

"Watching them get all excited about reading is an unbelievable thing," Martinsville Schools Superintendent Eric Bolen, who attended the assembly said. "One of the things you said, Lauren, in your talk to the kids, was find something you enjoy reading and if you do that, it can open doors."

WRTV is proud to join the Scripps Howard Fund and generous donors from our community to continue our "If You Give A Child A Book" campaign.

Together we raised more than $10,000 to purchase books for kids in our community.

We focus on reaching kids and communities in young grades that may not be reached by other literacy initiatives. For these young students, we know the first few years of elementary school are vital for reinforcing literacy skills and building comprehension.

Sometimes resources within the home are limited or not available, so this is where our campaign looks to step in to provide materials.

According to the 2019 study by the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), twenty-five million children in the U.S. cannot read proficiently.

That is why this campaign and your generosity is so important to the future generations.

If you would like to learn more or donate, you can visit WRTV.com/book.