About 80 people gathered in the Avon City Park on August 6th for the summer reading finale put on by the Avon Public Library. The afternoon started with 16 children meeting at the school to build 2-liter pop bottle rockets with Paul Kuhlman, assisted by Loretta Knodel, Rilyn Thury, and Hoyt Brandt. Next,theOutdoorCampusfromSiouxFallsputonan hour long presentation entitled, “Mammals of South Dakota.” Presenters had pelts on hand for about 20 mammals that live in our state ranging from small to large including mink, skunk, badger, raccoon, fox, wolf, and mountain lion. They discussed each animal’s diet, characteristics, and unique traits. Participantsthengotachancetoinvestigatethepelts and skulls. Next came the excitement of launching the rockets built earlier in the afternoon. Onlookers were surprised to see these simple rockets shoot up over the height of the trees in the park. The rocket that went the highest was named SAM and was built by Zane Rush and Cameron Ramirez. Prizes were presented for finishing Summer Reading Scavenger Hunts and to adults in appreciation of their support for the program. Everyone enjoyed supper served by library board members. The night was wrapped up by everyone having a chance to visit 3 activity/craft stations and making S’Mores.

The board would like to thank everyone who made the Summer Reading Program a success by donations of cash, prizes, supplies, and volunteering theirtime.SpecialshoutouttoShirleyPodzimekand the Pink Ladies who allowed us to use their brand new canopies for shade during our activities. Thank you to the parents and day care staff who brought their kids to the library each session to promote the importance of literacy amongst our youth!