Fairfield and Young School students were all smiles last week as members of Saco Masonic Lodge visited for school-wide assemblies to award 20 brand-new bicycles through the Masonic Bikes for Books program, sponsored by the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation. The initiative aims to promote literacy and a lifelong love of reading by rewarding students who dive into books.
Each time students read an age-appropriate book, they earned a ticket entered into a drawing for a new bike. The more they read, the more chances they had to win. During the two-week period, Fairfield School second-graders tracked minutes read for a total of 3,976 minutes, while Young School second-graders tracked books read for a total of 621 books. At both schools, excitement filled the air as the Masons drew names of the 40 second-grade winners and congratulated them in front of their peers at a school-wide assembly.
Fairfield School Principal Wendy LeBlanc and Young School Principal Jeff Mears expressed their gratitude, noting the positive impact the initiative has had on their students. “This program not only motivates our students to read more, but it also builds a sense of accomplishment,” said LeBlanc. “We’re so grateful to the Masons for their ongoing commitment to education and for bringing joy and excitement to our school community.”
This year’s winners from Fairfield School included: Lochlan Achorn, Maria Ali Mahmood, Chloe Gouar Badika, Roman Berube, Connolly Burns, Mason DeBesse, Violet Denton, James Farrington, McKenna Martin, Eli McGrath, Jace Moore, Michael Murphy, Ethan Norcross, Ayaat Perkins, Desmond Pollard, Hazel Tuttle, Paxton Vance, Hope Verlander, Alice Zakaya, and Ava Zeh.
This year’s winners from Young School included: Celine Al Dulaimi, Arezou Assadollahzadeh-Rice, Keane Benner, Evelyn Beveridge, Willow Bryant, Patrick Cummons, Mia Gomez, Adeline Hubacz, Taylor Lawson, Grant Nielson, Edward Okeny, Elizabeth Pembelle Moises, Hazel Ravanis, Elizabeth Ring, Stella Smiley, Callie Stefanilo, Abby Stetson, Faye Tarrant, Warren Tshibangu, and Lydia Yates.
The Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation’s Bikes for Books program provides funding to support the bicycle giveaways, while the local lodge raises additional funds through sponsorships and donations. Since its inception, the Bikes for Books program has gained remarkable momentum, with thousands of bikes being distributed across Maine.
Schools participating in the program report improved reading scores, greater engagement, and increased joy around reading. Books not only build knowledge—they inspire, comfort, and transform. Thanks to the partnership between local schools and the Saco Masonic Lodge, students are discovering the power of stories and the pride of hard-earned rewards, one page and one pedal at a time.
Student winners will pick up their brand-new bike at Saco’s Bike Rodeo on Saturday, June 14th, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., at Thornton Academy, with helmets provided by The Michael Goulet Foundation. For more information about the Masonic Bikes for Books program, visit https://masoniccharitablefoundation.org.