Second Annual Stories in the Park Event Scheduled
Writer/Matt Keating
Ruth Kelly, with the Zionsville Lions Club, says the second annual Stories in the Park event will take place on Friday, June 9, from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Zionsville Lions Club Park, 11053 Sycamore Street.
Kelly says the event will be fun for the whole family.
I am the chairperson for the Zionsville Lions Club Reading Action Committee, Kelly says. This was a dormant committee for our club that was reactivated last year with a new mission to help people of all ages find the joys and rewards of reading. The focus this year is on young people.
Many people enjoyed the event last year, according to Kelly.
Last year, about 85 children attended, and the feedback was fantastic, Kelly says. We hope many more come this year as there will be something to delight every child. Our goal is to foster a lifelong love of reading.
Kelly notes that there has already been excitement about the next event.
One of our projects this year is to continue and build on the Stories in the Park event that was a big success when it was first held last year by our committee, Kelly says. Sue Bowron-White, a Lion, is the coordinator for this upcoming event. The idea is to 
have fun reading activities for children in preschool through grade four.
One of the events for that age group this is If Words Could Talk.
We will set up tents in Zionsville Lions Park on Friday, June 9, and from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., we will have 15 different activities for the children to enjoy, Kelly says. There will be a puppet show, and an activity where kids can read to Clover the Dog who digs books. There will also be two different crafts and activities involving our Lion’s Diabetes, Environmental and Senior Services committees. We will also have short plays and books read aloud.
There is also Reading with your Hands, which will allow the participants to spell some simple words in Braille; and The Brick Street Poetry will also have a fun event planned.
Creekstompers and Zionsville Parks and Recreation will also have a touch table, Kelly says.
Kelly added that the popular HMMPL Bookmobile will be on site to allow library members to check out books, and the Indy Book Project will provide each participant with a free book to take home with them.
There is truly something for every child, Kelly says. In the event of rain, we will move the event to Tuesday, June 13 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. We have expanded the number of activities this year by popular request. Our hope is to give many more children the opportunity to develop a lifelong love of reading. We hope that parents and grandparents will bring their little ones to this free event. The Zionsville Lions Club, Inc is proud to be a part of our community effort to inspire our children to create their own life stories by reading about experiences that others have shared through books.
For more information, contact Ruth Kelly at ruthkelly1949@gmail.com
