FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Summer prize winners announced

Adults, teens, children have fun, learn during Summer Reading Program

Newport News Public Library System announces the winners for the 2011 Summer Reading Program.

Gwendolyn Banks won the 2011 grand prize in the Newport News Public Library System’s adult Summer Reading Program.

A total of 2,417 adults, children and teens learned about the world through reading this summer by participating in the Newport News Public Library System’s Summer Reading Program. Adults, teens and children of all ages read books, participated in special programs, and won prizes, June 20-July 31 -- all for free. Programs included Greek dances, Brazilian martial arts, snakes, puppets, movie screenings and more. More than 4,000 people attended the Library System’s events for Summer Reading Program.

Children and teens who signed up for the program and kept a reading log received certificates and free books. Ages 0-5 and beginning readers participated by having someone read to them. A total of 513 children and teens completed the reading logs.

Children who completed the logs were entered in a random drawing for a stuffed Atlas dog from World Book. Teens entered completed reading logs in a random drawing for an iPod Shuffle. Adults entered drawings for each Library book they read and attended free movie screenings and a book and film discussion. One adult winner at each Library was chosen at random to receive a travel book, cookbook and bag. One grand prize winner was chosen from all Library System entries to receive a reader’s gift basket including books, notepads, journal, snacks and gift cards.

Kids’ winners were:

Grissom: Triston Clark

Main Street: Gabe Stisser

Pearl Bailey: Trey Terry

Teen winners were:

Grissom: Tarek Eisa

Main Street: Tiara Booker

Pearl Bailey: Da’Kita Bagley

Adult winners were:

Bookmobile: Irene McCabe

Pearl Bailey: Vanika Duck

Grissom: Bethany Carter

Main Street: Denise S. Scheet

West Avenue: Katrina Roberts

Grand Prize winner: Gwendolyn Banks

The Summer Reading Program was supported by the Friends of the Newport News Public Library System, Ten Thousand Villages, hi-ho Silver, Capt. D’s, Fazoli’s, McDonald’s, Golden Corral, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Shoney’s, and the Library of Virginia.

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