LEWISTOWN — The Lewistown Public Library, in collaboration with Parks and Recreation and local business Spika Design and Manufacturing, has unveiled a new StoryWalk designed to engage families and children in reading while exploring the outdoors.
A Vision for Literacy and Community
Alissa Wolenetz, Director of the Lewistown Public Library, credited the initiative to their creative youth services librarian, Kiara. “We were looking at summer reading program planning for next year and talked about the possibility of doing a StoryWalk,” Wolenetz shared.
Shanndon Reay, COO of Spika, explained the company’s involvement. “Spika Design Manufacturing is a custom design manufacturing company. We specialize in mobile work platforms, with many of our customers in the military or aerospace sectors.” Despite this high-tech focus, Spika eagerly embraced the opportunity to contribute to a community-focused project.
From Concept to Completion in Record Time
Incredibly, the project progressed from idea to installation in just a few short weeks. “We talked to the CEO of Spika in late August, and by mid-September, they had the sign boards built,” said Wolenetz. “It came together really quickly.”
Reay emphasized that the work was a labor of love. “The Lewistown Library came to us with a request for the sign boards. They had examples of pre-made ones, but we were doing a community service day—something we do annually—so we decided to manufacture them ourselves.”
A Community Effort Built by Volunteers
The entire StoryWalk project was completed by volunteers, showcasing the power of community collaboration. “Casino Creek Concrete, a local company, donated the labor and concrete,” said Wolenetz. “That’s what’s been the best part of this project for me—seeing how different parts of our community can come together to create something lasting with a huge impact, especially for kids.”
Reay added, “We machined, welded, and cleaned the boards during our day of service to prepare them for installation.”
Combining Nature, Literacy, and Learning
The StoryWalk features the beloved children’s book If You Give a Moose a Muffin, along with additional resources. “We included MSU Extension’s favorite muffin recipes and information about baking classes,” Wolenetz said. She looks forward to expanding the project in the future. “We want to showcase our beautiful local ecosystems on the city trails and involve more organizations to broaden the impact.”
Reay highlighted Spika’s ongoing commitment to community involvement. “Every year, we host a manufacturing day for students. This year, we had 400 students visit our facility. Our biggest event is our day of service, and we’re always looking for projects like this to help the community.”
The new StoryWalk is a testament to how collaboration between local businesses, public institutions, and volunteers can create a lasting, positive impact for the entire community.
To contact Spika Manufacturing go to https://www.spikamfg.com/. To contact the Lewistown library go to https://lewistownlibrary.org/. To contact Casino Creek Concrete call 406-538-7160.
