Brimming with energy, Thunder forward Perry Jones trotted up and down the line of students waiting outside Ridgeview Elementary in Oklahoma City.
The second-grade students were patiently awaiting their turn to step up onto the Rolling Thunder Book Bus, presented by American Fidelity, and Jones was keeping them entertained. Each group of four students that entered the bus were greeted by Thunder forward Grant Jerrett and Assistant Coach Rex Kalamian. The former was perched right in the middle, ready to help direct traffic while Kalamian sat on the floor with each kid to help them pick out a specific book.
As Jones ushered students to and from the bus, one little girl shouted, “Perry, look!!” as she proudly displayed her new book about horses. Lightheartedly, Jones later explained that the girl proceeded to explain all the reasons why she loves horses and she just had to have a book about them.
“I thought that was pretty cool how she felt comfortable to come up to me and tell me that,” Jones said with a smile.
Clearly, the kids were excited to meet Thunder players, but they truly were even more thrilled to find something they were passionate about on the bookshelves inside the bus. Each student left with a new book, a bookmark and a Thunder wristband. According to Ridgeview Elementary’s principal, Michael Lisenby, they also all left with all the motivation they could possibly need to keep reading and to take their education home with them.
“It was very exciting for the kids,” Lisenby said. “For them to get to meet the players, we now have readers. They’re inspired.”
“Combining this with the Thunder Book Challenge, we don’t have to do anything else to inspire them to read,” Lisenby explained. “They’re motivated to read and to know that once they reach their goal, this is one of the benefits from it.”
While Jones was working up a sweat in the hot September sun, Jerrett was inside with Kalamian helping each child find the right book. In a way, Jerrett was mimicking something he used to see all the time during the summer as a youth – a librarian. Jerrett’s mother is a librarian back in California where the Thunder forward grew up, so it was a special opportunity to have the chance to help students in a similar way. In fact, Jerrett saw a number of books from his own childhood in the bus, classics that are still widely read today.
“I saw the kids coming in wanting to learn how to read or read advanced books and whatnot,” Jerrett said. “It’s a good thing to see… It’s really funny because they’re (little) and I’m grown up now. Seeing those old books brings up memories.”
Above all, the exuberance and zest for reading, learning and experiencing something new was the most inspiring to Jones, Jerrett and Kalamian on Wednesday. The Thunder trio got to see a group of second graders who relished the opportunity to get a new book, give them a high-five and have a positive attitude about learning, and it was something they took to heart.
“These kids remind me of how young I used to be and how much I enjoy life,” Jones explained. “It’s good to see that I can put a smile on their face and the impact that Grant and I have on these kids. It’s amazing.”