There is nothing more empowering than the ability to read, and to bring attention to its importance, National Read Across America Day was launched in 1998.

Established by the National Education Association, National Read Across America Day is celebrated on March 2, the birthday of children’s book author Dr. Seuss.

During Read Across America Day, parents, teachers, community leaders and all participating are encouraged to pick up a book, traditionally a Dr. Seuss book, and read to and with a child.

This past March 2, Dana Road Elementary School celebrated Read Across America Day by inviting Vicksburg community leaders to read to students, Dana Road Read Across America Day Coordinator Tracye Prewitt said.

“The students were entertained by numerous readers at Dana Road,” Prewitt said, one of whom was Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace.

“I’ve been honored to participate in the Read Across America Program for many years and I walk away from each reading with special memories,” Pace said. “The kids are so much fun to spend time with during their school day.”

Pace said he read from two of Dr. Seuss’s books to six or seven classes.

“I read ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and ‘The Shape of Me and Other Stuff,’” he said.

Pace said he liked the Dr. Seuss books because there is always a lesson to be learned.

“In ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’ the writer did not like green eggs and ham, but they had never tried it. But at the end of the book, they tried it and like it,” he said.

“The Shape of Me and Other Stuff,” Pace said, was about diversity.

“It has such a good message because the message is, we all have different shapes,” he said.

Vicksburg Fire Department Chief Craig Danczyk was also invited to read to the students at Dana Road.

“I had the opportunity to read to three classes,” Danczyk said. “I read Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Cat in the Hat.’ It was fun and everybody was very friendly and courteous.”

Danczyk said he enjoyed getting to interact with the young people and also experience some of the school’s core changes, like the Leader In Me Program.

“It’s a very positive environment and when you see elementary kids in a leadership role talking to adults and leading adults around the school, I think that’s incredible. I would not have been able to do that in elementary school. I would have been too nervous,” he said.

In addition to Danczyk and Pace, those participating in Read Across America Day at Dana Road included Deputy Vicksburg Police Chief of homicide/gang prevention Troy Kimble, Deputy Vicksburg Police Chief Mike Bryant, Vicksburg Police Chief Penny Jones, Brandon Walker of WLBT, Josh Prewitt, USMC, Vicksburg Police Officer Russell Dorsey, Deputy Sherriff Shreka Clark, Johnny Reynolds, with the Miss Mississippi Corp. and Vicksburg Warren School District teacher Michelle Fisher.