November 23, 2005
Suntan sheds light on reading
Beach Bums mascot visits schools as part of reading program
By
Herald staff writer
Students at Blair Elementary had an unlikely visitor this week - a brown bear named Suntan. The newly named mascot of the Traverse City Beach Bums minor league baseball team stopped by to kick off Suntan's Dreaming of Spring Reading Club.
Team owner Leslye Wuerfel and sponsor Pete Correia of Traverse City State Bank spoke to the student body about the importance of reading before Suntan taught them his favorite Beach Bums cheer, the "Beach Bum Rumble."
"I was reading a book yesterday that had me swimming with the dolphins. All of a sudden, there was a bad guy with a spear gun. I was so into it, I actually jumped," said Wuerfel as she expressed her love of reading to the attentive students.
"Reading can take you to meet new people, visit new places, have the time of your life," said Wuerfel, encouraging the students to pick books about subjects they enjoy - sports, animals, whatever they have an interest in.
Wuerfel, an avid reader, is thrilled to bring this program to Traverse City as part of her family's vision to create a partnership with the Beach Bums organization and the community.
"One of the most wonderful things about the Beach Bums is the opportunity the team will afford us to give back. Giving back through the reading club I think rewards us as much as the children involved," Wuerfel said.
Though Wuerfel originated the reading club concept, the partnership with Traverse City State Bank allowed the program to offer prizes such as book totes and book marks for readers as they earn their way around the bases.
For bank president Correia, the reading club allowed him to combine his passion for sports with the bank's commitment to community service and education.
"From the bottom of my heart, I'm very excited to be involved in this program. Our number one goal is to be involved in education," Correia said.
Students at Blair Elementary are among more than 3,000 in 15 area elementary schools that will participate in the reading club throughout the winter months. Every five books completed earns readers another base, 20 scores a home run and a free ticket to a Traverse City Beach Bums baseball game next summer, where they will be allowed to run the bases for real after the game.
The Traverse City Beach Bums is an independent minor league baseball team and member of the Frontier League which consists of teams from across the midwest. Their season will begin at Wuerfel Park in Blair Township in the spring of 2006, where 48 home games will be played.