St. Joseph Mustangs read to kids in community

By Chris Fortune

As the Mustangs find success on the diamond, they are also covering their bases by helping kids in the community develop their reading skills.

St. Joseph Reads partnered with the team for the Mustangs Neighborhood Hit, Read, and Eat program for a day of learning and fun. Players read baseball-themed books to the kids on the Washington Park Library lawn.

“Hopefully it just gets them excited about reading, grabbing a book themselves and thinking, ‘Well, if they read that, maybe this is kind of a cool thing to do,’” St. Joseph Reads organizer Carol Burns said.

After the storytelling, Mustangs players played duck, duck, goose and showed off their dancing skills with the kids. Team owner Ky Turner said those are the moments that kids will remember as they grow up.

“Not everyone’s going to remember the score of the game or our record or any of that information,” he said. “But they will remember our events like today where we have the opportunity to read a book, make a connection and hopefully leave a positive influence on some of the kids here today.”

The community outreach event was special for Mustangs’ outfielder Ike Book, who went to Lafayette High School.

“I would like to think that I was possibly one of these kids at one point,” Book said. “I was hanging around here and getting to look up to kids that are trying to make an impact.”

It left an impression on a young softball fan who attended the event with her sister and grandmother.

“I liked playing duck, duck, goose and I got a picture taken,” Delaney Sharp said.

Sharon Haynes said her granddaughters have gone to a Mustangs game in the past, but they have never met the players.

“It’s just awesome to watch (the Mustangs) run around with them and everything,” Haynes said. “(Delaney) and her sister, they’re just having a blast.”

The next Mustangs Neighborhood Hit, Read, and Eat event will take place July 16 at Hyde Park from noon to 1:30 p.m.