Grand Mound Booster Club Receives Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund Grant for Reading Program

Grand Mound Elementary’s Read-a-Thon starts March 6, 2025, for Read Across America Week

40 Shares

Reading is, without a doubt, one of the most important things we teach our children. The Grand Mound Booster Club, which supports the Grand Mound Elementary School (GMES) in Rochester, received a $3,000 grant from Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund to support its Read-a-Thon. The Read-a-Thon starts March 6, 2025, coinciding with Read Across America Week.

Olympia Federal Savings Logo

“Boosters is all about helping to ignite that fire for the love of reading in the students at Grand Mound Elementary School,” shares Nicole Slaby, Grand Mound Booster president. “Literacy is our focus because reading can take a person so many places. It is the basis for gaining knowledge, pursuing passions, making good decisions, you name it.”

The Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund supports organizations and programs in the communities it operates. Just around the corner from Grand Mount Elementary is a Weyerhaeuser Forest Regeneration Center. When Nicole started to look for grants, she naturally looked close to home and learned about the Giving Fund.

“Weyerhaeuser’s generous donation will be used to give a forever book to each of the 520 students enrolled at GMES this year for the kickoff of the second annual read-a-thon,” she shares. “Giving forever books is a way to keep that interest alight. To be able to read a fun, new, relevant title picked out all by oneself is very rewarding and motivating!”

two boys sitting on a couch, one has a book they are both reading
The Grand Mound Booster Club’s second annual Read-A-Thon starts March 6, 2025. Photo courtesy: Grand Mound Booster Club

Grand Mound Elementary Read-A-Thon

Started in 2024, the Grand Mound Elementary Read-A-Thon fosters a love for reading in the students. They are currently fundraising to ensure they have enough books for every student during the event, and you can donate online.

For the week of March 6, students will get to pick books to read. A bingo activity card will be given to each student with things like, “read with your sibling or your pet or favorite stuffie for 10 minutes.” Once they have gotten a bingo by completing activities in a line, they get to claim a prize from the prize box each classroom will have.

Students who black out their entire card get entered into the grand prize drawing at the end of the week at the Friday assembly. Each grade will have a couple grand prizes to award.

“It’s a fun way to put the books in all the students’ hands,” shares Nicole.

a picture of the book cover for 'A Wild Robot'
Donations of book for the Grand Mound Elementary School are always accepted by the Booster Club. Photo courtesy: Grand Mound Booster Club

Grand Mound Boosters Club Supports the Elementary School Year-Round

In addition to the Read-A-Thon, the Grand Mound Booster Club puts on the VIP School Breakfast, where students get to bring their own VIP to school for breakfast. “It gives families a chance to meet friends and their families,” explains Nicole.

Two years ago, the Booster Club raised money and co-purchased a book vending machine that is now in Grand Mound Elementary School. Book donations for the vending machine are always accepted and welcomed, she adds. Books that don’t fit in the vending machine are used as student giveaways. Much of the money the Club raises goes to stocking the book vending machine as well. “Boosters has stocked it continually, and students have been gifted two forever books each year from it,” explains Nicole. “This third year we are on track to keep up with the two forever books per student, which is very cool!  We also support school staff with grants to the teachers for classroom needs.”

Grand Mound Elementary School is currently working on regulation stations in all 25 classrooms. “A place where a student can self-regulate, minimize sensory input and remain in class where they can use sensory fidgets, timers, connecting toys and other such items,” shares Nicole. “We would gladly take any form of support on behalf of GMES to support creating these regulation stations.”

The Booster Club also puts on two fundraisers, one in the spring and one in the fall. People can also help with fundraisers and other events throughout the year. Nicole says the best way to keep up to date, is to visit the Grand Mound Booster Club website.

40 Shares