TCU football’s bye week gave students the perfect opportunity to volunteer in the Fort Worth community.

Sixty-five TCU students filled the two gyms at Paschal High School Saturday morning, Oct. 15, to read to kids from Fort Worth Independent School District’s elementary schools.

LEAPS hosted Reading Frogs, which consisted of reading books and writing inspirational letters to young kids, as a part of TCU’s day of service. The event is usually held on TCU’s campus, but this year it was at Paschal High School so that students from Paschal could volunteer as well.

Kaitlin Rayburne, a sophomore at TCU, wanted to participate in Reading Frogs because she wanted to help out the community she was a part of growing up.

“I went to Paschal High School and knew Drew Medford personally so I wanted to come here in honor of him and help out the community since I’m an alumna,” said Rayburne.

Medford, a TCU baseball commit as a pitcher, died this summer in a car accident.

“I’m also the oldest in my family so I grew up reading to my younger siblings and I want to be a pediatrician so for me just hanging out with the kids is fun,” Rayburne said.

Everyone read the same book, Bill Peet: An Autobiography. Peet was a writer and illustrator for Disney, and his autobiography is made up of the different stories he helped create. Tori Miller, a junior at TCU, said she was most looking forward to reading her favorite story, Peter Pan, with the kids.

The volunteers were given Sharpies so the kids could personalize the books and take them home at the end of the day. The personal connection the volunteers make with the kids is what influenced Dylynne Dodson to volunteer.

“When LEAPS said we’re hanging out and reading with kids and then we’re gonna write inspirational notes with them, I was just really excited to do both and wanted to be a part of it,” said Dodson.

For more information on LEAPS, Reading Frogs and how to get involved in the spring semester, email Jessica Puyo at [email protected].