ASHLAND, Ky. – Kentucky Power employees are celebrating Read to Me Day this week by reading a book aloud with students at 19 schools in seven eastern Kentucky counties.
Thirty-three volunteer readers read “Rosie Revere, Engineer” by Andrea Beaty to about 1,470 students. It is a story about a young girl who dreams of becoming a great engineer. Through lots of trial and error, Rosie learns that you can only truly fail if you quit. Readers visit two or more classrooms at each school, and then donate a hardcopy of the book to the school library.
The company began its Read to Me Day program in Kentucky in 2003. Since that first day, Kentucky Power has donated thousands of books to schools and read aloud to thousands of students. This year, the event was scheduled during American Education Week with readings taking place Wednesday through Friday at participating schools.
“Kentucky Power’s Read to Me Day partnership with area schools is a great way for our employees to be involved in the communities where they live and work,” said Kentucky Power President Brett Mattison. “Read to Me Day also provides an opportunity to emphasize the important role that reading plays in the education and future careers our children may choose to pursue. Perhaps some will even choose to be an engineer like Rosie.”
Each year, Kentucky Power employees rotate schools to reach schools in all 20 counties served by Kentucky Power. This year’s elementary schools were in Boyd, Breathitt, Floyd, Greenup, Knott, Leslie and Martin counties. Elementary schools included Charles Russell, Hager, Oakview, Poage and Holy Family in Ashland; Catlettsburg and Ponderosa in Catlettsburg; Highland-Turner in Booneville; John M. Stumbo in Grethel; Prestonsburg; Argillite; Wurtland; Greysbranch in Greenup; Emmalena; Hayes Lewis in Yeaddiss; Inez; Warfield; Campbell in Raceland; and Russell.
Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Ashland, provides service to about 165,000 customers in all or part of 20 eastern Kentucky counties, including Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Martin, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Rowan. Kentucky Power is an operating company in the American Electric Power system, one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S., delivering electricity and custom energy solutions to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP, based in Columbus, Ohio, owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system.