ANA again gives away coins for Children’s Summer Reading Program
For the second year, school-age children in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area will receive coins from the American Numismatic Association (ANA) for participating in the Pikes Peak Library District’s award-winning Children’s Summer Reading Program.
“We were very encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by last year’s young readers and decided to be a co-sponsor again this year,” says ANA Education Director Gail Baker. “Last year’s program saw a 47 percent increase in participation from the previous year. We were told the ANA’s co-sponsorship was one of the big reasons for this increase.”
Children up to age 11 can participate in “Paws to Read” during the Library District’s Summer Reading Program that runs through August 4. For reading books, the children are rewarded with great prizes and community coupons offered by the 27 sponsors of the program. There also are special opportunities for children to read with a therapy dog or llama, according to Virginia Carlson, children’s services supervisor for the Library District. “Animals can be the perfect reading companions–they listen without judgement.”, she adds. The Library also can pair reluctant readers with a teen mentor as part of a Reading Buddies program.
The ANA is providing 20,000 world coins with images of animals on them to all participants in the program. Each coin is in a protective sleeve with information about the coin, including its country of origin and how it fits into that nation’s monetary system. The coin give away is partially underwritten by the Education Coin Company of New York.
“In addition to receiving a coin, young readers are eligible to enter weekly drawings for a 1/10th-ounce gold American Eagle bullion coin,” Baker says. “The final drawing will be for a 1/4 ounce gold bullion piece.”
The first week’s winner was 6-year-old Cecelia Lopez of Fountain, Colorado, a town just south of Colorado Springs and within the Pikes Peak Library District. Baker presented the prize at the Association’s Money Museum and Library at 818 N. Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs. Young readers submit their entry forms at the ANA Museum, which currently features exhibits titled “Proud Spirits–American Indians, Bison and U.S. Money”; “Sing a Song of Sixpence: The Harmony of Money and Music” and a 500-plus piece collection of gold coins, coin “patterns” and paper money, valued at more than $20 million, that traces the history of America. The collection was assembled by the late Harry Bass Jr., who served as president of H.W. Bass and Sons, Inc., that was involved in management of the Vail ski resort in Colorado and the development of the nearby Beaver Creek ski resort during the 1970s and’80s. The Money Museum is free and open to the public throughout the summer from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday.
In addition to the coins and the drawing, the ANA gives all reading program participants the Association’s “Faces of Time” coin-collecting pamphlet and a copy of the ANA’s new, informative discovery guide “The World of Money.”
The Pikes Peak Library District serves 450,000 area residents through 11 branches. The District sent out 55,000 flyers about the Children’s Summer Reading Program to area schools and has promoted it on its local cable television channel and web site http://ppld.org. For more information about the Summer Reading programs, visit the library’s web site or call 531-6333, x1403 or x2403.
To obtain information or to arrange a group tour of the Money Museum, contact the ANA Money Museum at 719/632-2646; fax 719/634-4085; or E-mail museum@money.org; or visit the ANA web site at www.money.org.
Originally Release Date: June 17, 2002
ANA Contacts: Phone: 719-482-9872
Email: pr@money.org