New bikes were handed out to 14 elementary students who showed initiative in a local reading program earlier this month.

Dave Stephenson, who is running the program through the Libby Masonic Lodge, has been coordinating the Bikes for Books program in Libby for nearly 10 years.

Stephenson said the entire purpose of the program is to encourage students to read more.

“I think it is wonderful that we do this program,” Stephenson said. “It not only encourages kids to read, but to exercise as well.”

The program hosts an annual drawing that started 10 years ago at the Grand Masonic Lodge in Helena. Since then, the Grand Lodge matches the money put forth by the local lodge to purchase bicycles for students.

Beginning in January, students were instructed to keep track of the books they read. Upon finishing a book, the elementary school librarian quizzed students and entered their name into a hat.

Two students from each grade - kindergarten through sixth - were randomly selected through the 2014 drawing.

With the help of Ace Hardware in Libby, the past few years have been a success because bikes were purchased from the hardware store at cost.

Bicycle winners for this year are as follows: 

Kindergarten - Zander Kurle and Trinity Eggers

First Grade - Taylor Green and Garret Place

Second Grade - Alyssa Nordwick and Tyler Albert

Third Grade - Auroa Smith and Rusty Gillespie

Fourth Grade - Daron Levine and Ivan Cano

Fifth Grade - Colten Halvorson and Beth James 

Sixth Grade - Kaylee Kim and Dillon Yeadon.