Hudson High student is a 'slam' at reading

Zach Belyea, Teen Advisory Board president at Hudson Regional Library and a 10th-grader at Hudson High School, reached two milestones last week.

He performed his 500th hour of service as a teen volunteer at the library and won a national competition sponsored by a popular television program.

Belyea, 15, is the grand prize winner of the World Wrestling Entertainment Summer Slam Reading Jam. He has won an all expenses paid trip for two to Los Angeles to attend the Pay-Per-View Summer Slam event Aug. 23 - plus $200 spending money.

In addition, the Friends of the Hudson Library will receive a check from World Wrestling Entertainment for $1,000 to be used for the purchase of library books and materials for teens. Along with the WWE, the Young Adult Library Services Association sponsors the Summer Slam

Zach is taking his mom Kathy with him to Los Angeles.

"She's always wanted to go to California," he said. "We want to go to Hollywood Boulevard and see the stars, and also Grauman's Chinese Theatre."

Zach, a longtime wrestling fan whose favorite WWE performer is The Undertaker, learned about the WWE promotion through his work as a volunteer at Hudson Library.

As part of this promotion, participants checked out at least two books from 500 participating libraries - including all those in the Pasco County library system - from June 24 through July 16 and requested a promotional WWE miniposter. Each miniposter listed an identifying number entered in a random national drawing that took place July 17.

"I checked the WWE Web site and saw that my poster's number had been drawn," said Zach. "Karen Correa, Pasco libraries youth services coordinator called the WWE people, who called back to talk to me. They told me I was a grand prize winner."

This is the latest library-related accomplishment for Zach, who has been a Hudson Regional volunteer for five years.

"I'm at the library every day," he said. "I love the people and the atmosphere."

It was Zach's enthusiasm for video games, not books, that drew him to the library.

"I hated reading," he said. "I started coming to the library for Game Nights, then started helping out with programs."

As Teen Advisory Board president and teen volunteer, Zach does everything from planning games, movies and activities for the library's summer reading club to popping popcorn for the movies and setting up arts and crafts programs for children.

He says he has learned practical skills at the library, such as working a cash register at the book fairs.

"I've learned how to work with people and be patient with them," he said.

His efforts have paid off, library staff say.

"He does such a good job here, and the kids love him," said Linda Bragg, public relations specialist "He's a very thoughtful young man and very active here. A great guy."

Zach says that his work at the library has increased his interest in reading, and that he is now a fan of David Pelzer, the author who wrote "A Child Called It."

He is planning a career as a librarian, and has encouraging words for children who may be interested in visiting the Pasco libraries.

"The people here hang out together," Zach says. "It's a fun-filled experience."

ZACH BELYEA

BACKGROUND: Hudson's Zach Belyea, an incoming 10th-grader at Hudson High School, is the grand prize winner of the World Wrestling Entertainment Summer Slam Reading Jam. He has won an all-expense-paid trip for two to Los Angeles to attend the WWE Pay-Per-View Summer Slam event Aug.23.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: Zach, 15, has put in five years and 500 hours of volunteer service at Hudson Regional Library, where he is president of the Teen Advisory Board.

GET INVOLVED: For information about the Pasco County library system, call (727) 861-3020 or visit www. pascolibraries.org