A local teenager at the helm of a unique child literacy program is the first ever recipient of the Grande Prairie Firefighters Charitable Foundation Leadership Award.
18 year old Kianna Lindsay has spent the past four years volunteering with PAWS for a Story.
The initiative helps encourage reading by pairing children up with certified therapy dogs Corky and Cedar.
“Then when the kids come in to read, it provides them with a non-judgmental audience who is enthused about their story and is very cuddly, so the dogs like to listen to the stories and they’re engaged.”
Firefighter Chris Renyk says they were impressed by how much time she has already put in.
“She’s volunteered over 1,300 hours in the last four years doing what she loves to do, and that’s ultimately helping kids learn how to read. That struck a major chord; it aligns really well with the charity’s mandate and our mission to keep things local and to enhance the community.”
Lindsay has received $1,500Â that will go towards buying more books for the program, as well as $1,500Â as a scholarship for when she attends Grande Prairie Regional College for education this fall.
