This past week, students at Christiana Elementary School and Mitchell Neilson Elementary, were recognized by members of the Middle Tennessee State athletic department along with staff from Amazon's Murfreesboro Fulfillment Center as the two winning schools from the 2018 Lightning's Reading Club Challenge.

The reading challenge encouraged elementary school children to read at least 20 minutes a day for 15 days during the month of October. After completing the 15 days, a reading log was returned to the student's teacher. Teachers then presented each student with a certificate of completion and a voucher good for a complimentary ticket to a Blue Raider football game.

For the second consecutive year, Middle Tennessee State athletics partnered with Amazon's Murfreesboro Fulfillment Center for the reading challenge. The top performing school from Murfreesboro City Schools and Rutherford County Schools, would receive a free book for each participating student from Amazon's Murfreesboro Fulfillment Center. Additionally, Middle Tennessee athletics and Amazon's Murfreesboro Fulfillment Center would visit each school and randomly select three participating students to receive a Kindle Fire.

Not to be forgotten, individual teachers received a special challenge as well. Teachers from both school districts would be eligible to win one of six $350 Amazon gift cards if their classroom achieved a 100 percent participation rate.

"2018 was the fifth year of our Lightning's Reading Club Challenge and our second year partnering with Amazon's Murfreesboro Fulfillment Center. Dominique Dubon and her team at Amazon have continued to be amazing to work with and have truly enhanced the reading challenge" stated James Kentfield, assistant athletic director for Middle Tennessee athletics. "We continue to see increased participation with the program across both Rutherford County Schools and Murfreesboro City Schools. And the excitement surrounding the program has been fantastic, in large part due to the great people at Amazon's Murfreesboro Fulfillment Center."

For more information on how your school can participate in Lightning's Reading Club Challenge, please email james.kentfield@mtsu.edu.