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POSITIVELY OKLAHOMA: Rolling Thunder Book Bus in Tulsa

KJRH

By: Julie Chin

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TULSA, Okla. — Some Tulsa kids have one more reason to love the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it's thanks to the Rolling Thunder Book Bus.

"I think it's really cool," said Peyton Brown. The 9-year-old is among 50 north Tulsa campers who experienced the rumble of the Rolling Thunder Book Bus at Tulsa YouthWorks in north Tulsa on July 8. Brown said, "It has a lot of OKC Thunder stuff and it has a lot of books."

More than two thousand fiction and non-fiction books line the shelves inside, and that's not all. 'A jersey, a hat, a basketball, and I see Rumble!" said Brown. A locker with the team's autographs is also in the bus. Every child who climbs aboard leaves with a free book and bookmark.

"They're so generous, they give a book to every single one of the kids. A book that they can keep, that they get to take home and read," said Pastor Chris Beach, co-founder of YouthWorks.

The Rolling Thunder Book Bus, presented by American Fidelity Assurance Company, is a state-wide outreach program for kindergarten to 5th grade. Pastor Beach says reading is a critical skill at the YouthWorks Summer Dream Camp.

"If a kid can't read, they're embarrassed. They start fighting in 3rd and 4th grade, and that's why so many kids, 58% of North Tulsa kids drops out of school starting in 4th grade. So reading is a core component that we have to get right for kids," said Pastor Beach.

And with the OKC Thunder backing it, kids like Brown feel inspired by the NBA basketball champions as book champions.

The Rolling Thunder Book Bus visits schools, community centers, museums, and other sites. The OKC Thunder tells us it has given away more than 240,000 books since it began. You can learn more about the Rolling Thunder Book Bus and even request a visit here.

Here's more information on Tulsa YouthWorks.

The OKC Thunder have another connection to Tulsa YouthWorks. They have a Community Basketball Court there. Here's the story of that: