GMHS Football Team Kicks Off Book Buddies Program at Mifflin Park and Cumru

Governor Mifflin’s High School Football team can usually be found on the field running drills or tearing it up at Mustang Stadium after school hours. One place you might not expect to find them? In an elementary school library, curled up with a picture book!

On Thursday, October 20, 2022, junior and senior members of the team paid a visit to Mifflin Park Elementary and Cumru Elementary for their first session of the Book Buddies program. The program pairs each player with a younger student as a “book buddy” that they will read with on a monthly basis through the end of December.

This is the program's second year at Mifflin Park and first at Cumru. This year, sign-ups were opened to any student at either school interested in participating. However, the football players will have a chance to meet even more students and make a greater impact through classroom visits, which will occur each session!

After classroom visits, the student pairings then head outside to toss the pigskin around, practice plays, and get to know each other even better; a process which further solidifies the bonds built during the session.

“It’s really special for both students, said Angela Mulhare, Special Education Teacher at Mifflin Park and Book Buddies coordinator, “honestly, I think the older kids sometimes get even more out of it than the younger kids do. It instills a sense of responsibility, builds really strong connections, and is just very rewarding for them. It’s just so cool to see.”

Keep an eye out-- other sports teams may be joining in on the Book Buddies fun soon!