Woodland students get free bikes for reading skills

WOODLAND — Woodland Public Schools’ elementary school students recently participated in Woodland Reads, a teacher-led program that aims to increase family togetherness and students’ reading skills, throughout the month of April. Students were provided free books and at the end of the monthlong event, each student was entered into a raffle by correctly answering questions about their book. They had a shot at a free bicycle and helmet donated by the Woodland-Kalama Masonic Lodge No. 17. On May 7, Ron Horn, the master of the Masonic lodge, presented bikes to students who won the drawing at each elementary school. Columbia and North Fork elementary schools each received four bikes and Yale Elementary received two bikes. “The Mason mission is about knowledge and the belief that the more people can educate themselves, the better they will make society overall,” Horn said. “The members of the lodge missed doing this event last year, so we were excited to start it up again and plan to continue doing it every year.”