Most-Improved Readers Get Bikes Courtesy of La Fayette Masonic Lodge

La Fayette Masonic Lodge No. 34 of La Grange presented a dozen free bicycles to a select group of La Grange Elementary students last Friday as part of their new Books for Bikes program.

“The masons have always supported education,” said Jeff Messer, Junior Warden of the La Fayette Lodge. “The early Texas President Mirabeau Lamar, who was also a mason, was focused on education. Public education is critical to the success of the Nation.”

The local lodge has given out more than $100,000 in scholarships to local high school graduates over the last 30-plus years. They also sponsor the Fantastic Teeth program which provides free toothbrushes for first graders, and they sponsor one young man every year for American Legion Boy’s State.

Messer said the La Fayette Lodge wanted to further invest in local education. So this year, they started the Books for Bikes program. The Lodge asked the school to identify one boy and one girl from each class who improved the most in reading during the first semester. The Lodge held a drive-through meal to raise money for the program. The masons partnered with Walmart to purchase the bicycles and helmets.

Last Friday, April 4, the Lodge presented the bicycles to the dozen boys and girls who improved the most in reading, based on assessments conducted by the school. Those students were:

• First Grade - Linken Farris and Kennedy Zarosky

• Second Grade - Austin Rhodes and Hannah Mash

• Third Grade - Waylon Hayes and Jana Corder

• Fourth Grade - Keigan Lambert and Coral Hrbacek

• Fifth Grade - Mitchell Cherry and Kayla Moore

• Sixth Grade - Christopher Angel and Rylee Covin Messer said the Lodge will hold another drive-through dinner on May 9 to support local education. For tickets or more information, call Messer at (281) 703-8932.