March is National Reading Month, a time to celebrate the joy of reading and the benefits it brings to our lives. Reading can spark our imagination, expand our knowledge, and inspire us to learn more. That’s why the Meijer store on Saline Road in Ann Arbor decided to volunteer and support Eberwhite Elementary School’s Family Literacy Night earlier this month. The team wanted to share their love of reading with the students and their families and make the event a memorable one.
The Family Literacy Night was organized by the school’s PTO and had a campfire theme with shirts that read, “Read Smore Books.” The event featured various activities to promote reading and literacy, such as “campfire sites” where a “ranger” would read a book to the kids, pet rocks the children decorated and sold as a fundraiser, and poems the children wrote available to purchase. The event also included snacks, games, and prizes for the participants.
The Meijer team provided a $500 gift card for the school to use to purchase stamps, books, smores, and other items for their event. Team member Colleen Heiser attended with two colleagues, Melissa Pilkington and Kerry Ritchie, to help set up for the event and surprised them with an additional $500 check.
“The school was really excited because they thought the $500 check was showing the gift card donation, not an additional check,” Colleen said. “They hung it right above the check-in table, so it was up for the event as everyone entered.”
The Meijer team also helped with the activities and interacted with the students and their families. They enjoyed seeing the children’s enthusiasm for reading and their creativity in expressing themselves. They also received positive feedback from the school staff and the PTO members, who appreciated their generosity and support. The event generated a huge turnout, and our team members were proud to be a part of it.
The Meijer store on Saline Road in Ann Arbor is one of the many Meijer stores that support their local communities and schools, including supporting and hosting events centered around March Reading Month.
