Photo by John Russell Students and Predators players teamed up to compete in Spell Check, a game-show-type event that kicked off the reading program Wednesday.

The Predators and Lochinvar have partnered to create the "Stick to Reading=Succeeding" program for elementary school children in Wilson County and the program started Wednesday, Oct. 25 at Carroll-Oakland Elementary in Lebanon, Tenn.  Nashville Predators Scott Hartnell, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber and team mascot GNASH were in attendance to participate with students in a game-show-styled event, talk about the reading incentive challenge and the importance of reading, and answer questions.

"Stick to Reading=Succeeding" features the All-Star Reading Challenge, an incentive program in which students receive prizes for reading books.  The program is free for all Wilson County elementary schools and their students, who will receive a registration form to keep track of their books.  The following prizes correspond with the number of books read:

• After reading five books, students receive a Predators bookmark
• After reading 10 books, students receive player trading cards with fun facts about the players
• After reading 15 books, students receive a Predators poster/certificate, a Predators/Lochinvar water bottle and student's names will be posted on the Predators' official Web site

As part of the "Stick to Reading=Succeeding" program, GNASH and a Predators player or broadcaster will make monthly visits (through April) to schools in Wilson County.  The All-Star Reading Challenge will run from October 25 through March 1, and the names of students that have read 15 or more books will be posted on the Predators' official Web site by April 1.

"By joining with the Predators and their 'Stick to Reading' program, we hope not only to encourage, but more importantly, to engage students in Wilson County with the joy and excitement of reading," said Bill Vallett, Lochinvar president.

Lochinvar Corporation is a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency water heaters, boilers, pool heathers and storage tanks.  Based in Lebanon, Tenn. with warehouses in Detroit, Orlando, Tampa, Dallas and Philadelphia, Lochinvar stocks all products in all locations.