Aurora alderman sponsors snacks on the Bookmobile at area park

AURORA -- Sixth Ward Alderman Mike Saville is teaming up with the Aurora Public Library Bookmobile to sponsor afternoon snacks at the William V. Plum Park Bookmobile stop.

The Book Bites in the Park program will begin Thursday, Oct. 19 and continue throughout the school year every Thursday between 3:15 and 3:45 p.m. at the park, located at Plum Street and Grand Avenue. Children and teens who are present at the Bookmobile stop will receive a snack and juice box.

They may enjoy their snacks on the Bookmobile or take them home.

Saville, along with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, sponsored a summertime box lunch program at the park. During its first week in operation, all the lunches were handed out in the first 15 minutes.

The Book Bites in the Park program grew out of the popularity of that program, said Kathleen Butzen, outreach services manager for the library.

"A lot of people asked us if we were going to do this again during the school year," Butzen said. "So I came up with idea of providing afternoon snacks."

Butzen sees it as a way to feed kids' minds and appetites. She hopes the Thursday stop at Plum Park will become a highlight in the week for children and teens who participate.

"When Kathleen first approached me about partnering with the Bookmobile and the Food Bank, I thought it was a great idea to provide the lunches, and because that was such a success, I'm happy to continue to fund the program so children can have the opportunity to read and eat at the same time," Saville said. The snack program will continue until the end of the school year next May.