Hawaii State
Public Library System

Posted on: August 28, 2024 | Category: Spotlight

The Hawai‘i State Public Library System is thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge Grand Prize Drawing! Athena Merchant, child patron of Waipahu Public Library won four round trip tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies! Her name was drawn from over 16,000 reading participants statewide.

At the presentation, State Librarian Stacey A. Aldrich, along with Nainoa Mau, Executive Director of the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i, and Jacob Aki, Hawai‘i Public Affairs Manager of Alaska Airlines, presented four round trip tickets to Athena Merchant at the Waipahu Public Library.

Accompanied by her parents and three siblings, Athena was thrilled to win the statewide reading lucky prize. She read an impressive 7,000+ minutes during the summer and said her favorite book was “Shiloh” by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Athena has a passion for reading and her next book will be “Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

When asked where she wanted to take her family, she replied “I’m going to take my family to Michigan to visit my grandparents”.

“Congratulations to Athena and her family! We are so grateful to the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i and Alaska Airlines for their support and providing such an awesome grand prize to celebrate our summer of reading!” said State Librarian Stacey A. Aldrich.

“We are delighted for Athena and extend a sincere mahalo to Alaska Airlines for their generous support of reading among Hawai‘i’s keiki, teens, adults and kupuna through our public libraries,” said Nainoa Mau, Executive Director of the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i.

“Alaska Airlines is proud to once again partner with the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System and the Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge Grand Prize Drawing. Just as our flights connect destinations, reading connects minds, and we’re honored to be part of this journey to take the love for reading to new heights,” said Jacob Aki, Alaska Airlines’ Public Affairs Manager for Hawai‘i.

This summer, 16,248 readers joined the eight-week challenge, collectively logging 15.8 million minutes of reading. With the summer’s theme, “E Heluhelu Kākou: Mo‘olelo,” public libraries across the state hosted family-friendly activities celebrating Hawai‘i’s stories, myths, legends and history.

The 2024 Summer Reading Challenge was sponsored by the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i, Alaska Airlines, Hawai‘i State Federal Credit Union, McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawai‘i and Pizza Hut Hawai‘i.