'Great for a child': Roughrider Foundation kicks off holiday fundraising campaign

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation kicked off their annual Rider Reading program Tuesday.

“The Riders have been in schools for a while,” CEO Cindy Fuchs said. “But this is a new launch.”

The foundation is partnering with the Ministry of Education to bring curriculum-focus books into Saskatchewan schools.

But this year, they’re expanding the program to get more books into the hands of youth in need through the Passing Pages fundraising campaign.

Fuchs hoped the program can increase literacy rates.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to measure the impact we have with other partners on literacy levels in the province,” she said. “If a child isn’t reading at a grade three level by grade three, their chance of graduating is reduced 40 per cent.”

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For a $100 donation, five kindergarten students will be given a book of their own.

For $1000, an entire class may be hand-delivered the book by a Roughrider player.

“Lots of libraries loan books, which is fantastic,” Fuchs said. “But how great for a child to have a book of their own at their own house.”

At the kickoff Tuesday, Riders Brett Lauther, Mitch Picton and Micah Johnson spoke to Grant Road School about the importance of reading and even read books to various classrooms.

“Getting books in the hands of kids as early as possible, with more time to practice at a young age, will pay dividends in the end,” Picton said.

“Me having kids to read to, we have stacks of books,” Johnson said. “Literacy is important.”

The Passing Pages campaign runs through Dec. 24, 2024.

Fuchs hoped to reach over 100 schools and 10,000 students across the province. Something they were able to achieve with the Rider Reader program last year.