For the Love of Reading!

by Airman 1st Class Cheyenne Morigeau
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

2/18/2014 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.  -- Desert Lightning Team members read to children in the Tucson community in support of 'Love of Reading Week', Feb. 10-14.

Love of Reading Week is a national event designed to encourage the appreciation of literature among students, by giving community members an opportunity to read to children.

"Books get children immersed into the story and the characters. When you read it to them they can imagine themselves in the story," said Staff Sgt. Brandon Carlson, 355th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter.

Approximately 15 D-M firefighters volunteered about 30 hours of off-duty time and read to nearly 430 students at Myers-Ganoung Elementary School. Local schools reached out to the base looking for military personnel willing to volunteer their time to participate.

The students view military members as heroes said Julie McIntyre, the school principal. She believes the children will be encouraged to read if they see military members reading.

Some volunteers let the students pick which books they wanted read, while other readers brought their own book, to not only entertain the students, but also teach them a valuable lesson.

"A lot of the kids love firefighters, so most of the guys chose firefighter books to teach fire prevention lessons," Carlson said.

Reading to the students also gave volunteers a chance to reflect on their childhood.

"I can still remember my teacher's aide reading us books and the way she use to hold the book and show us the pictures," Carlson said.

Unlike 'Read Across America', an event held on one day nationwide, individual school districts plan out when they want to hold Love of Reading Week.

Some of the readers hoped to leave the school knowing they made a difference in the students, Carlson said.

"If I can remember my childhood and people reading to me, then I know this is going to make an impact on them, especially from the uniformed services," Carlson said.