Thanks to his participation in the Georgia Public Library Service's Summer Reading Program, "One World, Many Stories," Taylor Boyd not only developed essential reading skills this summer, he was also awarded a $5,529 contribution to his college savings.

Boyd, a 7-year-old from Covington, was the winner of the 2011 Destination College Savings Sweepstakes offered by the Path2College 529 Plan, in partnership with the Georgia Public Library Service.

"It was such a wonderful surprise to get the call that Boyd had won $5,529 from the Path2College 529 Plan," said Kristen Boyd, Taylor's mother. "Each year he and his sister, Mallory, enjoy the summer reading program at the Newton County Library. He is a third grader at Piedmont Academy in Monticello, and he already has dreams of attending Georgia Tech for college, just like his Uncle Charlie. This incredible gift will certainly help make his dreams come true!"

This year, more than 445,000 Georgia children and teens participated in the summer reading program, and more than 6,100 of those entered the sweepstakes for a chance to win a contribution toward a Path2College 529 Plan college savings account.

"This program is a great way for children to stay engaged with reading over the summer," said Chuck Penuel, director of the Path2College 529 Plan. "We hope that by offering the annual sweepstakes, we are encouraging more children to get involved with the summer reading program, while at the same time reminding their parents how important a strong educational foundation and a strong financial foundation are to their child's success."
Penuel congratulated Boyd and presented him with a check at the Covington Branch of the Newton County Library, where he participated in the summer reading program and entered the sweepstakes.

In addition to Boyd's big win, the sweepstakes also included prizes for Georgia libraries. The Covington Branch of the Newton County Library was awarded $1,529 to be used for its children's and teen's department.

"We saw first-hand at libraries across the state the excitement that the combination of our Summer Reading Program and the Destination College Savings Sweepstakes provided to families. Reading together over the summer is tremendously important for families, and pairing it with the chance to win a significant college contribution was an excellent way to encourage people to get involved," said Dr. Lamar Veatch, Georgia State Librarian. "We want to congratulate Taylor, along with Newton County Library, on their wins, and we hope that next year we'll be able to reach even more children through our programs and this partnership with the Path2College 529 Plan."