For students at Lake Hills Elementary, it was a reading frenzy this past school year. The students participated in Read to Feed, a program linked to Heifer International, a non-profit organization that helps send animals all over the world in an effort to end hunger.

The Read to Feed program encourages students to read while raising funds to give families in 128 countries a source of food that builds self-reliance and continuous resources rather than short-term relief. Heifer International began nearly 60 years ago and has reached millions of people who were once hungry, providing a sustainable source of food and income.

Tina Freed, a volunteer at Jubilee Reach Center, worked closely with librarian Kristine McLane at Lake Hills to get the students involved with the program, educating the students about world hunger and inspiring them to read. McLane first introduced Read to Feed to the third grade classes through curriculum material including a video and a children’s book titled, Beatrice’s Goat.

“The kids got inspired to read more,” McLane explained, “It allowed them to make a more conscious decision about how to spend their time when they’re away from school.”

The initial goal for the students was to raise $500, earning 25 cents for every book they read. The third-graders’ enthusiasm prompted Freed to locate volunteers through Jubilee Reach who were willing to sponsor up to $5,000 for the program. According to Freed, with $5,000 the school could purchase an arch of animals through Heifer International. An arch equates to roughly 15 pairs of animals.

To accomplish this, Freed and McLane worked together to expand the program to include the entire school. Each week, the school featured a different animal for the students to learn about. Administrative assistant, R.J. Sammons got on board by including the week’s animal during morning announcements.

“The students were very knowledgeable,” said Freed, whose goal was to educate the students about the animals they would be sending and how they would help end hunger and poverty. “One of the most interesting things to the kids was that all animals poop. They were very interested in that and how it then supplies fertilizer. They got that one down right away.”

Beginning in November, the students filled out a slip for every book they read and turned it in to earn a quarter towards the total goal. Later, it was changed to a quarter for every 25 minutes of reading. A chart was hung outside the library tracking the school’s progress.

The slips also were used for a drawing during an assemble where two lucky students each received a new bicycle and helmet, given by Masonic Lodge of Connecticut. By the end of May, the school had raised $4,600 for Heifer International. Although the Read to Feed program was winding down, the slips continued to flow in up until the last week of school.

“I kept getting all these Read to Feed slips and I made it very clear that we were done, but they kept turning the slips in. That warmed my heart,” McLane said. “I was impressed that they were still keeping track of their reading and still turning in slips. But that’s the push of the kids,” she said. “It’s astonishing. In the last week the kids pulled it all together and we’re just so proud of them.”

Heifer International will deliver an official plaque to the school, acknowledging their contribution to end world hunger.

For more information on the Heifer International visit www.heifer.org.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@reporternewspapers.com or at 425-453-4602.