To encourage reading in his community, Coventry, RI-based orthodontist William Gordon, DMD, challenged local students to read during their summer vacation. As a reward, he gave $1,000 to the local elementary school with the most books read. The $1,000 award will go towards new reading material.

Western Coventry Elementary School won the challenge for the third time in a row, according to the Coventry Patch, with 385 students reading 4,394 books over the summer.

“Last year we purchased picture books and shared reading books that help students with their reading comprehension,” said Karen Guilmette, a reading specialist at the school, told the Coventry Patch in an interview. “We definitely use the money and we love and appreciate it.”

At the recent award presentation, Gordon announced that next year he is planning to name second- and third-prize winners to get more students involved.

In addition to the financial donation, Gordon also rewarded a first-grade class with a pizza party for reading the most books. The student with the most books read in each grade also earned a school store gift certificate.