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Thompson Falls students in kindergarten through sixth grade are getting a little extra encouragement in reading.

The Running Start program, sponsored by the Thompson Falls Woman’s Club, began this week with the students at Thompson Falls Elementary. Each year, Principal Len Dorscher leads the students on a playground run. But this year, Mother Nature had other plans and a late snowstorm canceled the run portion of the event.

Karen Gustavsen with the Woman’s Club delivered a book to each child in grades K-6 on Tuesday, and Dorscher said he would incorporate the exercise portion of the event at a later date.

The program runs through May 4. Students will log books they read, or in the case of younger children, have read to them. Each completed log sheet will earn an entry into a drawing at the end of the program. The local Masonic Lodge sponsors the prizes, which this year include a bike and three Kindles. Also on May 4, Valley Bank will sponsor an ice cream party for the event.

Gustavsen said the program originally started as Reading is Fundamental, but that program no longer exists. The Woman’s Club, including teacher Eileen Stone, had supported the Reading is Fundamental program, wanted to continue to encourage students to read, and teamed up for the Running Start program.

“Our kids and teachers do a great job of reading,” Dorscher said, “but this program gets kids motivated to read a little bit more.”