Parker County Today July 2018 | Page 52

coming to the library throughout the summer and beyond. The Friends of the Library work year round to raise funds and awareness for the library. Funds raised pay for the Summer Reading Program which provides a summer-long free educational enrich- ment program for kids, teens and even adults. This summer, the library is excited to debut Beanstack, a new online summer reading management program that is a free service program helping you track and manage participation in the library’s Summer Reading Challenge, Reading Rewards Program for kids and teens and the Adult Summer Library Challenge. You can set up as many profiles within your account as needed, so it is easy to track participation for the whole family. The library is not just for educa- tional events, fun events like Preschool Dance Party, Movie Monday’s, the end of the year Summer Social Party, and their Teen Legion: Gamer’s Circle, each are ways for kids and teens to get out of the house and hang out with other kids in the community in a safe envi- ronment. Along with their summer program, the library gives access to over 90,000 items, making the possi- bilities endless. 5. Let Your Kids Learn Golf at Squaw Creek 50 Beginning in the spring of 2019, the new Ben Hogan Learning Center will be coming to Squaw Creek Golf Course in Willow Park. In 2001, the first Ben Hogan Learning Center opened at Rockwood Park, and is the home base for The First Tee of Fort Worth. The First Tee is a 20-year-old organization that continues to present the game of golf to kiddos through- out the entire United States. The Ben Hogan Learning Center was designed for kiddos to be able to spend time on the practice green, driving range or golf course or simply have a place where they can come inside, rest and “hang out,” with their friends. Only the second of its kind in the United States, the learning center will support The First Tee program. “We are pleased to be partner- ing with Squaw Creek/CERA and the Ben Hogan Foundation to create our second Ben Hogan Learning Center facility,” Kevin Long, Executive Director of First Tee of Fort Worth said. “The three-way partnership will allow us to positively impact the lives of thousands of young people in the Parker County communities through our signature Life Skills Experience and the game of golf.” The First Tee’s mission is a simple one; to introduce golf to students and teachers; ensure golf education meets national standards; help build charac- ter and confidence through positive personal and social values. It’s these values that has positively impacted thousands of kids throughout the years. The Squaw Creek location will have an indoor location for the class- room type work that is part of the program. It will also provide meeting space for educational and mentoring type programs. If a child is unable to afford the program cost, or does not have golf equipment, First Tee will cover the cost and give golf clubs to a child who needs them. “The character education aspects of the program coupled with expo- sure to the game of golf at an amaz- ing facility are all very exciting. We are also thrilled to be able to honor Mr. Hogan’s legacy with this build- ing at Squaw Creek, as we have done at the Ben Hogan Learning Center at Rockwood,” Long said. Parker County is thrilled to have a program coming to a fabulous golf course.