Darby School District loves to read, thanks police chief

by John Dowd

Last Tuesday, the Darby School District gave their students awards for participating in the “I Love to Read” program. It also gave the district an opportunity to recognize a long-time supporter of the program from the community. This individual was Darby Police Chief Tj Gibson.

The “I Love to read” program is a month-long initiative that attempts to grow reading interest in students. Throughout the month of February, students try to read as many books as possible. According to Chris Toynbee, the Darby School District K-7 principal, the program is accompanied by an award ceremony, which distributes several prizes to the winners. Of these, perhaps the most well known have been the bikes. 

Toynbee explained that the district gives out around nine bikes a year; one bike per grade level. The best readers from preschool to seventh grade are able to enter to win. The winners were selected out of those who had read the most books during the program. Their names were entered into a drawing, where they could choose from either a bike or a reward field trip to Barnes and Noble, in Missoula.

Those bikes are directly paid for by the work of Gibson. “He was instrumental two years ago by helping to raise money,” for Darby’s “I Love to Read” program, said Toynbee.  The police chief organized with the Darby Volunteer Fire Department to “fill the boot.” During that fundraiser, According to Toynbee, they raised so much that the school has been able to give out bikes since, and still have the ability to do it for at least another year. 

Gibson also attends the award ceremony every year to recognize students who participated in the initiative. He is often the one handing out the bikes. Cheryl Woirhaye, a Darby Schools staff member and close neighbor to Gibson, wanted to recognize all the work he does for the community. She learned of a program offered by Molly’s Custom Silver, a belt buckle company out of Texas. The business has a special giveaway for police officers across the country. Every year, the business accepts applications for entry to win a beautiful buckle, and they only give out 1,000 buckles. 

Woirhaye submitted information to nominate Gibson, and he was selected this year to receive a buckle. The buckle was presented to the officer during the bike giveaway as a surprise. 

The Darby “I Love to Read” program tries to get every student reading more. To do this, multiple departments work together. However, Toynbee wanted to recognize particular individuals and groups for their service to the initiative. The first of these is the one who runs and organizes the program, Ryan McCrossin, the school librarian. 

Additionally, there were $30 gift cards to Chapter One, in Hamilton, given away this year. These are for third graders and up, and six cards were donated. Winners of these were randomly drawn from all students in the school. The cards were gifted by the Ionic Lodge of Masons #38 of Hamilton.