Help a child read
Reading is a fundamental skill for everyone that impacts their education and untimately their career path. Unfortunately, some young students struggle to read and need help to get them on track.
Fortunately, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. has a program, Book Buddies, that is designed to help second- and third-grade students improve their reading and get to their grade level. The good news is that community residents can assist in lending a hand.
Volunteers read to two students — 30 minutes each — at least once a week. This year the program is in 11 schools and starts Aug. 28. Volunteers are needed to ensure that all students who needs help with reading have a Book Buddy to assist them. This is a perfect opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life.
To volunteer, call Debbie Lindauer at 812-376-4461, or send an email to [email protected].
Triathlon continued success
One significant mark of a successful event is its ability to attract a sizable number of participants year after year. That’s just what the Foundation For Youth Columbus Challenge has done.
The 22nd edition was Aug. 5 at Tipton Lakes Marina. About 250 people participated, representing all levels of skill and competitive backgrounds.
The event has evolved over the years from just a sprint triathlon event, adding an Olympic distance triathlon and also a duathlon, aqua-bike and aqua-run competitions, and even 5- and 10-kilometer runs. That’s helped keep the Columbus Challenge fresh, viable and attractive.
Congratulations to the event’s organizers and volunteers for their efforts to make it an enjoyable experience for participants year after year.
Pitching in for kids
For more than a decade, partners representing local schools, service organizations, nonprofit organizations and businesses have pitched in to provide school supplies for about 2,000 children whose families could not otherwise afford them.
This year’s effort spearheaded by the Bartholomew County School Supply Assistant Program, called “Fill the Bus,” was July 22. It featured about a dozen partners: Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., Columbus Housing Authority, Columbus Rotary Club, Columbus Sunrise Rotary Club, the Community Center of Hope (working with Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp.), Council for Youth Development, Cummins Inc., Family Self-Sufficiency, Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center, Sans Souci, Su Casa and the United Way of Bartholomew County in conjunction with United Way 211 and the Volunteer Action Center.
Thank you to the people and organizations that pitched in to help local students start the school year well by ensuring they had the supplies they needed.
