Veterans, public invited to StoryWalk dedication
Kaniksu Land Trust East Bonner County Library District and the city of Dover have teamed up to create a permanent StoryWalk location at the Dover City Park.
Since December 2015, KLT and the library district have been piloting StoryWalk projects around the greater Sandpoint region. The intent has been to provide young readers and their parents an opportunity to read a children’s book in its entirety as they walk from page to page, gaining health benefits while having a great time.
“Over the past year we have done eight different StoryWalk locations which hosted 10 unique children’s books. The response from our community was so exciting that we pursued a grant from the Land Trust Alliance to build permanent kiosks in our most popular locations,” said Suzanne Tugman, KLT outreach and communications director.
On Monday, Dec. 19, KLT, library and Dover officials will celebrate their gift to the community with a ribbon-cutting event and a true story of joy and giving. More than just a public grand opening of the new StoryWalk location, the event is an opportunity to acknowledge the gift that veterans have given to our country and celebrate a positive message of joy, library officials said.
Veterans are invited to lead a special Christmas StoryWalk with children from Farmin and Washington elementary schools while experiencing the seasonal magic of “The Night Santa Got Lost … How Norad Saved Christmas,” by Michael Keane. The event begins at 9 a.m. at Dover City Hall on Lakeshore Avenue with a dedication and snacks with warm drinks donated by Safeway, Starbucks and Winter Ridge. Students will also enjoy making a special holiday craft to honor our local veterans.
“Roughly 20 veterans lose their battle with mental health each day,” said Bryan Hult, Veteran Service officer. “Bonner County wants to help stop the loss by providing free services and helping with events that will bring community members together to show veterans they are honored and valued. By helping to bring events to Bonner County, we, as a community can now serve those that served us.”
While the Dover City Park StoryWalk site will be permanent, the stories and activities will continue to be updated by East Bonner County Library’s Children’s Services Librarian Suzanne Davis. The updated books will be posted on www.eBonnerLibrary.org, www.kaniksulandtrust.org and www.cityofdover.id.gov.
Library Director Ann Nichols shared her enthusiasm for the project in a recent statement.
“Introducing people to reading as they explore the outdoors allows a deeper understanding of nature and the written word,” she said in the statement. “StoryWalk programs provide simple books that ask questions and suggest exploration of the natural landscapes that surrounding the printed pages. Many people benefit by reading and discussing the same book with others who have walked the same trail. Not only does this program allow people to read, it also gets them physically active and engaged with their natural surroundings.”
The public is invited to attend the event that is expected to run until about noon. Attendees are encouraged to dress for cold weather.
“We at the Kaniksu Land Trust office could not think of a better way to celebrate the Dover 2016 Christmas StoryWalk than to bring together our nation’s veterans to walk with our community school children,” said Tugman.
Individuals, families and groups are invited and encouraged to take advantage of this permanent StoryWalk all year long.
Information: Suzanne Tugman, Kaniksu Land Trust, 208-263-9471