Left to right: Deb Elliott, Cedar Springs Librarian Donna Clark, and Lolita Johnson with her Read-to-Ride ticket.

The Red-Reading Challenge—the Read-to-Ride Program, got off to a great start with the beginning of the new school year and climaxed with carnival rides on Red Flannel Day. 131 students, K-8th grades, turned in their Red Reading Logs, down about half from last year due to the chilly, wet weather.

Elliott’s Amusements has been Cedar Springs’ valued reading partner for 9 years now.  The Festival pitched the idea to Deb Elliott and the Cedar Springs Library in 2006 and it has been going strong ever since. In fact, it has been such a success, that this year we are having to rethink how we can reward our Red Readers in a way that Elliott’s Amusements benefits as much as our community readers do.

Next year we have agreed to print 150 free ride tickets to be given out to the first 150 students who request one at cash in. There will also be a second choice of a snow cone or bag of popcorn for another 200 students who prefer a concession. The Reading Challenge will continue to be 6 hours.

All reading logs would be traded in at the Cedar Springs Library on or before September 30 or until the 350 tickets were claimed.