IRMO — What started as a play date at Irmo's Moore Park for Stephenie Helland and her children has turned into much more.
Helland and her kids, Columbia residents, ended up being able to attend Mayor Bill Danielson of Irmo first Storytime in the Park said on a recent morning.
“My kids really loved it, they seemed like they really had fun and enjoyed hearing the stories and doing the coloring and getting the giveaways from the library,” Helland said. “So, I think it was really a success with the kids.”
Helland said, if given the chance, she would bring her kids back to hear from Mayor Danielson again.
Storytime in the Parks is the “brainchild” of Lexington Mayor Hazel Livingston.
Once a month the mayors of Irmo, Lexington and Chapin take a Tuesday morning to go out to their local parks and read to the children in the community.
Danielson said anything they can do for the kids is a good thing, and letting them know “their local leaders are accessible is a good thing (for) the community.”
And it’s a chance to draw more children to local parks, he added.
“The most exciting thing is about the interaction with the kids,” he said. “Reading the book is one thing, but a lot of times I will adlib as I’m reading … (the kids) love the interaction.”
His next Storytime in the Parks will be on July 8 at Moore Park.
“Those are the brightest days that I have, when you get to talk to the kids and have a conversation with them and read to them and see the light on their faces. It’s important,” Danielson said.
Lexington's Livingston thinks this is a way to have the community not only connect with each other, but for people from other communities to come and explore their neighboring green spaces.
“The parents can go to the different communities, if they like, and have lunch in those communities and just engage and see other parks too,” Livingston said.
Livingston held her first Storytime in the Parks May 20. She said she had about 20 children show up — and this was before school was out for the summer.
She brought cookies and water. For the next event, she plans to offer face painting.
Since launching, Lexington County Library has reached out to join “to encourage the summer reading program and to sign up for library cards," Livingston said.
“I’m excited just about the engagement with the children,” she added, “to hear the children and to hear the excitement in their voices.”
Lexington’s next Storytime in the Parks will be June 17 at Virginia Hylton Park.
“I just hope we get to see more children this next time and have more fun with them,” Livingston said.
Chapin Mayor Albert Koon said the event series is a good opportunity to promote reading and literacy in Lexington County.
“It’s just another opportunity to get in front of young kids and promote reading, promote literacy and encourage them to read and read and read," Koon said.”
Koons's first Storytime in the Park got rained out, but his next one will take place June 14 at the Chapin Town Hall Park.
If you want to know more about when and where the upcoming Storytime in the Parks will be, visit https://www.lexsc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=376