It is the end of another school year, and for 140 Power Lunch students at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School it’s time to celebrate! 

Annually, as the school year comes to a close, EW!DC hosts end-of-year celebrations to honor the Power Lunch students and Reading Mentors who make it all possible. The Reading Mentors at Amidon-Bowen represent more than 20 participating organizations that include: The Washington Nationals, U.S. Department of Energy, Education and Transportation, HUD, HHS, the Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. These adults are committed to sharing the joy of reading with their mentees and serve as positive roles models for the children.  

During the 2009-2010 school year at Amidon-Bowen, EW!DC paired 140 students with 163 Reading Mentors. EW!DC also distributed 420 books to the students, enabling them to build their own personal libraries at home. "Each year we celebrate the magic that is the Everybody Wins! DC Power Lunch program.  After a year of reading and conversation, it's wonderful to take some time to salute the power of mentoring" said Program Supervisor, Lyn McGann. 

At the first Power Lunch Celebration for grades 1, 2 and 5, the Amidon Cheer Squad kicked off the event with an enthusiastic EW!DC-themed cheer. Next on stage was a storyteller, Bunjo, who shared a comical tale about Malik, the 1-year-old baby who could read!  Students chanted along as Malik stood up to the ghost who tried to take his books.  The graduating fifth graders were thanked and honored with a special medal.   

The second celebration for grades 3 and 4 included a very special guest, Washington Nationals pitcher Craig Stammen. Stammen, with the help of the audience, read aloud an interactive story called Baseball Bingo! He then took part in a very interesting question and answer session. Students asked the right-handed pitcher questions ranging from, “How fast can you throw?” (94mph!)   To whether he loves to read and the reason why he enjoys working, Stammen answered:  “Working makes you feel proud, it makes you feel good…and I love to work!”  

The event included a very touching moment as students took to the stage and, using placards, spelled out the words “THANK YOU” to express their gratitude toward the Reading Mentors.  Each letter represented a different sentiment such as, T is for your gift of Time, N is for Never giving up on me, H is for happiness, and more.  The words together highlighted a perfect message to the adults who take the time to make a difference in these students’ lives.