ROANOKE RAPIDS — He spoke without saying a word, creating peals of laughter with the wave of his hand and encouraging youngsters to “Pick Up a Book and Read!”

Stormy, the Carolina Hurricanes mascot, visited with students in Aurelian Springs and Everetts Elementary schools this week. Stormy made the children laugh with his antics. He never had to say a word, but he got his message across joining Program Director Doris Barksdale in urging the youngsters to “Pick Up a Book and Read!” Della Batts | The Daily Herald Advertisement

Stormy, the Carolina Hurricanes mascot, visited with students at Aurelian Springs and Everetts Elementary Schools Thursday, spreading sunshine everywhere he went.

His visit was to kick off the Pick up a Book and Read program, one of three concepts being brought to the district through a partnership with the Hurricanes, N.C. State University and North Carolina Central University.

Program Developer Doris Barksdale said she approached former Superintendent Geraldine Middleton about the program after she saw Judge Howard Manning talking about the district. “I told her anything we could do we would do,” said Barksdale. (Manning is the judge in the landmark Leandro school decision who has ordered the state to intervene in Halifax County Schools to improve student’s testing scores.)

According to Barksdale, Pick Up a Book and Read served nearly 2,000 students last year in 46 schools across the state.

The district decided to implement three of six available programs the first year of the partnership including Pick Up a Book and Read, which focuses on students in the third through fifth grades.

The six-week program encourages reading at home and offers incentives like T-shirts, sports memorabilia and game tickets. “Teachers and students get incentives from the hockey team, but this partnership includes State and Central, so it includes basketball and football as well,” Barksdale said.

Two other programs “Electronic Shadowing” and “Image Makers” launch in November and in the spring, respectively.

Shadowing provides online mentoring and the opportunity to address behavioral and attitude adjustments, while Image Makers gives students a sense of purpose and belonging. It encourages students “to dream big, make goals and believe in themselves,” according to Barksdale.

Barksdale said students will also receive hands-on hockey experience in the near future. “We’re going to have the Fan Development Department get involved soon. Athletes and members of the staff will be coming to visit with students,” she said. “They’re going to show them how to play hockey!”

The district, the Hurricanes and University partners hope for a strong impact and hope students will gain new enthusiasm for learning.

Barksdale said eventually all the partnership programs will be implemented in Halifax County Schools.