For the first Annual Read Across Hammond Week, over 30 community leaders read to all 36, second grade classrooms in the School City of Hammond elementary schools (over 800 students). The life-long learners that read in the project represented NWI business, education, non-profit and government institutions including Ivy Tech Community Colleges, Peoples Bank, Cleveland Cliffs, Urban League of Gary, Society of Innovators at PNW, The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, Ironworkz (Gary, Ind) and Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr, among others. (All Leaders List Below Photos)

At Kenwood Elementary, Mayor McDermott declared Feb. 26 - March 2, Read Across Hammond Week. Inspired by the National Education Association’s ’’Read Across America Day.” BBB4E plans to continue Read Week annually growing in grade levels and schools, with the vision of Read Across the Region Week. This is a part of the greater Book Brigade initiative to develop a nation of readers.

To culminate the week of in-school story hours BBB4E invited the students and general public to Read-a-Palooza at the Hammond Public Library, Saturday, March 2. Wild cats took over the first floor of the Library with 36 lions featuring promises about kindness from every SCH 2nd grade class. Rusty the Railcat, from the Gary Railcats, was even in attendance and read a book to the students in the Story hour room. Families could also select free books from the Book Brigade and create their own book with the help of a local artist.