A race car stopped by King Middle School in Milton on Friday to help students kick off Florida Literacy Week. The Florida Department of Education is holding the fifth annual Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! The week began Monday with the slogan “Take the Lead and Read!” With the support of partners such as the Florida Lottery, the Daytona International Speedway and Scholastic, the Celebrate Literacy Week car will travel the state making appearances at schools and community events. The purpose of the race car is to motivate students and educators to create an excitement about Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! At King Middle School on Friday, the kickoff event to Florida Literacy Week was “Reading Around the Campfire.” Families enjoyed a campfire meal complete with hot dogs, chips, drinks and s’mores. Although the car couldn’t make it to King Middle School, a local race car driver brought his car for the kids to see. There was also a reader’s theater about an animal race. Monday marked the statewide Million Minute Marathon. At King Middle School, students sat in the hallway from 8 to 8:25 a.m. to bring in more minutes for the school. Students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade participated in the Million Minute Marathon, aiming to reach the collaborative goal of reading 30 million minutes statewide.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Race car helps students rev up for reading