Idaho Falls, Idaho Students Read For Promise of Fire Truck Ride

Of all the stories Idaho Falls firefighter Shayne Saari read to the second-graders, 8-year-old Mckayla Going liked ""Big Frank's Fire Truck"" best.

Saari and Mckayla have that in common.

""I like reading this one because this stuff really happens in Idaho Falls,"" he told students at Theresa Bunker Elementary School on Thursday. ""It's pretty fun for me to read this to you guys because I know what some of this stuff is like.""

Mckayla said she was happy Saari visited her classroom. The visit marked her second year in Idaho Falls School District 91's ""Blazing a Trail to Literacy"" program.

""He read it to me in first grade, and I really liked it then,"" Mckayla said. ""My favorite subject is science, but I like reading sometimes, too.""

The program, started about five years ago by firefighter Jeff Parsons, encourages students to log the number of minutes they read each night, district spokeswoman Margaret Wimborne said.

Firefighters visit the district's 12 elementary schools in January to get the children excited about reading. Students are asked to log the number of minutes they read from Feb. 1 to April 7.

The student who logs the most minutes at each of the schools gets to ride to school in a firetruck.

Austin Johnson, 7, said he didn't keep track of his minutes last year, but plans to this year.

""I want to try, but I don't think I'll win,"" he said. ""You really have to read a lot of books, like a lot, a lot, to win.""

Austin wishes the firefighters could come by the school more often.

""This was fun because we got to learn from the firefighter how we can help people and how they can help other people so they won't get hurt by fires,"" he said.

Saari has volunteered for the program each of the five years he's worked for the fire department.

He has four children, including two who attend Theresa Bunker Elementary.

""The reading program, for me, is fun because I used to teach school,"" he said. ""I know how important it is to encourage kids to read at a young age. … It's important for students to hear that message from someone else other than their teacher.""

Features writer Christina Lords can be reached at 542-6762. Comment on this story at Post Talk at www.postregister.com/posttalk.