The Cheyenne River Youth Project received hundreds of donated books from the Ride For Reading event held on, Saturday, May 10th. About half a dozen bicyclists rode nearly 10 miles from Sturgis to Bear Butte, South Dakota carrying books in their backpacks and bike baskets to donate to CRYP’s library, which has become a center for book clubs and reading among community youth.
Ride for Reading is a Nashville, Tennessee-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting books and healthy lifestyles to low income children. The event was organized in collaboration with Lily Mendoza y Ducheneaux, who is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and owner of the Rapid City bookstore, Word Carrier Trading Post. Ms. Mendoza y Ducheneaux is also a member of CRYP’s advisory board.
In total, CRYP received nearly 600 books on nearly every subject for its libraries, which are still in the process of building their inventories to include books and materials for children and teens. Promoting reading and the love of books is one of CRYP’s key goals as a youth-centered organization.
“The books will be much appreciated by the children of Cheyenne River and will be put to good use here at CRYP,” says Tammy Eagle Hunter, youth programs coordinator for CRYP. “These books will help us strengthen activities such as Book Club and reading time at ‘The Main.’ We are thankful to all of the local cyclists who carried books from Sturgis to Bear Butte. All those in attendance that day remarked on how much they enjoyed the event – especially the children.”
CRYP staffers Pamela Stolz and Ryan Devlin accompanied kids from CRYP to the event in Bear Butte, where they enjoyed hiking and lunch along with the cyclists who rode in for the event.
“The kids loved the hike so much we had to do it twice!” says Stolz, who is the organization’s VISTA volunteer. “And the kids poured over the books as the cyclists handed them off. Six-year-old Xayden especially enjoyed the 3D book about sharks, while his older brother, Xavien, grabbed one of the Captain Underpants books to read on the ride home. At the end of the day, as we hiked down Bear Butte, Caseylynn stopped in her tracks looked up at me and said, ‘this is the best day ever!’”
Founded in 1988, the Cheyenne River Youth Project is dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities, ensuring strong, self-sufficient families and communities. Today, CRYP provides a wide variety of programs and services to the community, covering nearly 3 million acres in South Dakota.