Two first-grade students from Centre Avenue Elementary School in East Rockaway have earned special recognition for their dedication to summer reading through the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation's Summer 2025 Book Club.

Nicholas Kemp and Brien Mayo each received a personalized letter and certificate from the foundation after completing the summer reading challenge. The students selected grade-level books from a suggested reading list, read them over the summer and submitted book reports on their selections.

The boys joined 661 young readers from across the United States and Canada who participated in this year's challenge, demonstrating their commitment to literacy during the summer months.

Centre Avenue Elementary School Principal Calia Kelly received a letter from Patty Judge, mother of New York Yankees Captain Aaron Judge and president of the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation. In her letter, Judge emphasized the foundation's mission and the importance of reading.

Sharing our love of reading is important to my family, Judge wrote. We understand that literacy improves critical thinking, imagination and focus. Books can help students explore new cultures and ideas, promote empathy and spark creativity. It also gives parents the opportunity to spend quality time reading with their children, as Wayne and I did.

Both students received certificates and personalized cards welcoming them as new members of the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Summer 2025 Book Club. The boys were especially thrilled to discover that each card included Aaron Judge's autograph.

Aaron Judge, founder of the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation and captain of the New York Yankees, established the foundation to promote literacy and support youth education initiatives.