Elementary school raising funds through reading

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - Elementary students at St. Michael’s school in Hastings are participating in a reading challenge over the next week with an opportunity to raise funds for new playground equipment.

The challenge begins Wednesday and goes through Tuesday, April 13 with a goal of students reading a combined 20,000 minutes.

Students can gather donations for minutes read or receive a donation overall for participating. The fundraiser itself is being hosted by the St. Michael’s Home & School Association, which tries to do one large fundraiser each year.

A portion of the funds will go toward replacing a section of St. Michael’s playground, which the principal says is old and a hazard due to it being a wooden structure.

Students are reading for more than the opportunity to raise money, though. If they complete the overall reading goal of 20,000 minutes, the students will receive a “comfy clothes day”.

“Any time they get to be out of uniform there’s a lot of excitement,” Carrie Rasmussen, the K-5 principal, said. “So we’ll put a thermometer in the hallway to help keep track of minutes to try to keep them excited and reading.”

Students will also be able to win prizes for answering daily, reading-related questions. Teachers are also being challenged; whichever teacher reads the most minutes will have the chance to earn gift cards for participating.