HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Hopkinsville Visitor’s Center is now the home of a unique vending machine that does not dispense snacks or drinks. Local students will instead have the option of using reward tokens from their school to receive a book in the Christian County Literacy Council’s new book vending machine.
“The Literacy Council wants our students to learn to be prolific readers, and to be people who enjoy reading knowing that reading is a path to their success,” said Francine Gilmer, the executive director of the Literacy Council.
This vending machine was made possible due to a donation from Atmos Energy, who was present at the official ribbon cutting on Sept. 12. The vending machine’s official name is Literacy Launcher, which was decided through a naming contest held among local teachers. Maria Dietzel at Pembroke Elementary had the winning name, and received a $500 check for her class from Atmos.
“Providing a love for reading is one of the most powerful gifts we can give our children in our community,” said Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight during the ribbon cutting. Superintendent Chris Bentzel mentioned this has been a collaboration in the works for a long time. Amy Rogers, the Visit Hopkinsville executive director, added that she hopes this will bring more kids into the visitor’s center, and allow them to further their literacy journey while learning more about the history of their city while they visit.
The machine was dedicated to retired Atmos employee Robert Flick who passed away four years ago. His dedication to Christian County students helped inspire. the donation from Atmos.
During the unveiling, dozens of Christian County elementary schoolers attended to see the machine firsthand, with a few lucky ones chosen to be the first to use the machine. During the month of September, Christian County students who have read two books in one week can arrive at the visitor’s center to receive a free token.
After this month, classrooms in the county will utilize a rewards system that will set goals. Once they reach the goal, students will receive a vending machine certificate that they can exchange for a token at the visitor’s center. The machine is available for use during business hours.
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