For immediate release: October 14, 2025
Douglas County Libraries and the DCL Foundation recently awarded cash prizes to four Douglas County schools and the nonprofit Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation as part of the library’s 2025 summer reading program, Don’t Bug Me, I’m Reading. Roxborough Primary School, Mountain Ridge Middle School, ThunderRidge High School and Ben Franklin Academy each earned $500 for securing the most summer reading signups per school level in the program’s school contest. CALF was awarded $1,000 as the nonprofit recipient of the community reading goal.
School contest signups were tallied via the Beanstack online registration app. The school in each category with the most signups as a percentage of 2024-2025 enrollment earned the reward.
“Summer reading keeps kids and families engaged with books, and it’s wonderful to see our community come together in such a big way,” said Kristen Kallio, Special Events Supervisor at Douglas County Libraries. “These prizes not only celebrate achievement but also reinvest in local schools and organizations that make a difference.”
Librarian Deb Williams said her Ben Franklin Academy students love the summer reading program, including the prizes and fun events. “When they hear that we have won [the contest], they actually clap and cheer and can’t wait to see the big check,” she said.
Alicia D’Antonio, Librarian at Mountain Ridge Middle School, encourages her students to keep reading outside the classroom by talking about it a lot, and by sharing with them how the summer reading program helps the school.
“When I polled students at the end of the last school year and asked what MRMS could do to be even better, the overwhelming answer was ‘more books’,” D’Antonio said. “I hope they feel proud to have helped contribute to making the MRMS library an even better place.”
At Roxborough Primary School, Librarian Molly Whitehair said that reading plays a vital role in the school culture. “This investment will go a long way in helping us continue to foster a vibrant reading culture at our school,” she said. “We will focus on curating a selection of new, high-interest books that we know our students will be excited to pick up and read.”
Readers of all ages are encouraged to participate in summer reading and the community reading challenge, which benefits a local nonprofit if the reading goal is met. This year, participants exceeded the goal of 10 million minutes of reading by over 1 million minutes, benefiting Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation in Castle Rock.
Elizabeth Hoffner, Director of Operations at CALF, said the organization’s mission is to connect all people to agriculture. “Through our programs, more than 3,000 students each year experience hands-on learning in science, food systems and the environment,” she said. “This award means a great deal to us. It reinforces the importance of experiential learning and provides tangible support for our educational programs.”
Don’t Bug Me, I’m Reading drew more than 16,000 participants who logged reading time, attended library events, and explored new stories all summer long. Summer reading at DCL will return in June 2026.
To learn more about Douglas County Libraries Foundation, visit DCL.org/foundation.
Douglas County Libraries elevates our community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection.
