COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. — Central Columbia Elementary School hosted a pep rally to surprise more than 800 students. A large cardboard box outside the library on the school's second floor has been hiding a gift for the students.
"We have been wondering what is behind it, and I thought it was like Squish Mellows that we use here in the library class," said third grader Joey Cusson.
"This has been hidden for two weeks. They brought it up here during the Bloomsburg Fair because we were closed. I hid it behind the box, and the kids have been dying to know the reveal," said Courtney Jarinko, the school's librarian.
After 20 minutes of fun at the pep rally, it came time for the big reveal. Students screamed and cheered once they found out a book vending machine was behind the box.
"I was really excited," said first grader Blaise Liddick.
"At first, I thought it was snacks, and then when they got up closer, I saw it was like books, so I was kind of bummed at first, but now when I look at it, it's cool," added Cusson.
After the big reveal, a student's name was drawn out of a bucket. Liddick was the lucky winner. She got to be the first kid to use the vending machine.
"I am really excited that I got to get the first book. Because there was never a vending machine of books. I have never seen one," she said.
Kids can use school currency called Soar Bucks to buy a book from the vending machine. Each book is 20 Soar Bucks.
"If you follow the rules, if you do the things you're supposed to do, then your classroom teacher can give Soar Bucks," Jarinko said.
Kids like Joey Cusson will be able to use the vending machine to buy a book this Monday when school returns.
"I will take it home, show my mom, and she will be like, wow, look at this," he said.
The vending machine can hold up to 250 books.
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