Cops ‘n’ Kids Children’s Literacy Program completed yet another fantastic event of giving, this time for the children of Lincoln ES. Students packed the auditorium on the morning of March 31, anticipating a day filled with reading and fun. During the assembly, students learned how the Liberty HS National Honor Society raised over $800 to be used to purchase brand new books for each student at Lincoln.

They additionally heard from speakers including Lincoln Principal Benita Draper, and Cops ‘n’ Kids President Beverly Bradley. The women encouraged the students to keep reading, learning and dreaming, so they can grow up to reach their goals. Bradley led a student pledge, telling students, “as long as you’re dreaming, you’re moving forward.”

Other special guests at the assembly included Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy, 36 Liberty Honors student volunteers, and that magical feline himself, the Cat in the Hat. The Cat spread cheer and excitement by giving high fives as children left the assembly to go back to their classrooms. Each of the 18 classes was visited by two Liberty HS student volunteers who read some of the donated books to the students.

After the stories, students worked on projects with their high school role models. Each project was inspired by the story they read and varied by grade level. Kindergarten and first grade created sunglasses inspired by “Pete the Cat and his Magical Sunglasses” by Kimberly and James Dean, third grade wrote letters of encouragement to their peers for the upcoming PSSA tests, and fifth grade made collages that express who they are.

“Children helping children” is a hallmark of the Cops ‘n’ Kids Literacy Program, which has now distributed over 781,000 free books to children in need. This strong sense of community helps to grow the Cops ‘n’ Kids initiative, one book at a time.