20th Anniversary of Pound Puppy Awards at Southside Elementary

By Susan Hardee Steger
June 4, 2019 1:00 p.m.

Mike Bowling recognizes outstanding readers at Southside.

Mike Bowling, originator of Pound Puppies, knows how to make forty Southside Elementary School second graders happy. On Wednesday, May 22, Bowling presented students with a specially made Pound Puppy to honor their reading achievements and he has been doing it for 20 years.

Lexi Hopson (left), who accumulated the most reading points for the entire school year, was presented with an extra special Pound Puppy from Bowling’s personal collection.

Five point earners in the last nine weeks of the reading program (right), Lexi Hopson, Colton Mahler, Chance McDonald, Khloe Martin, and Hadley Lin, were presented with certificates for their accomplishments.

Bowling told the story of a previous Pound Puppy award recipient who told him that the Pound Puppy she had been given for reading stayed on her bed through high school and college and it motivated her to read and study hard. “That is what this is all about, for kids to be motivated to read and succeed,” said Bowling. “The more you read the more you learn.”

Kim Hicks, media specialist, acknowledged Bowling’s commitment to recognize outstanding readers.  “We are so luck to have Mr. Bowling!”