NASCAR driver brings book vending machine to St. Augustine elementary school

Students at John A. Crookshank Elementary School have a new way to celebrate good choices this school year: earning a book of their own.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones visited the St. Augustine school Aug. 28 to read with students and unveil a book vending machine that allows them to exchange tokens earned for positive behavior for books they can take home and keep.

The visit brought together Jones, The Erik Jones Foundation and AdventHealth through an ongoing partnership focused in part on children's literacy.

It came ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, where AdventHealth provides on-site medical care during major events as the Official Healthcare Provider.

The book vending machine at John A. Crookshank Elementary is the seventh supported by AdventHealth and The Erik Jones Foundation.

Previous machines have been placed at elementary schools in Brevard, Flagler and Volusia counties, and AdventHealth has committed $5,000 annually to help keep each machine stocked with books.

Jones founded The Erik Jones Foundation in 2021, with early literacy among its areas of focus.

Book vending machines have become one of the foundation's literacy initiatives, giving students a tangible reward while encouraging them to read.

"Reading can open up a whole new world for a child," Jones said. "I love seeing how excited kids get when they get to choose a book of their own. Being able to bring this program to another school and give more students that opportunity means a lot to me."

"We know that a healthy community is about more than healthcare," said Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of AdventHealth operations in St. Johns and Flagler counties. "Helping children discover books they enjoy and encouraging them to read is one more way we can support families and schools in the communities we serve. Putting books directly into kids' hands can help build habits that stay with them for years."

The book vending machine is one example of AdventHealth's broader work with students and schools.

In neighboring Flagler County, where the faith-based, not-for-profit health system has served the community for more than 20 years, that involvement includes free sports physicals and heart screenings, athletic training and mental health support, nutrition programs and career opportunities for students.

As part of a larger health system with 57 hospitals in nine states, including 33 in Florida, AdventHealth has also expanded access to care in Flagler County over time by building two hospitals and a cancer treatment center while bringing additional physicians and services to the community.

Now, AdventHealth is beginning to build a similar presence in St. Johns County.

The health system opened its first offsite emergency department in St. Augustine in July, and there are future plans for construction on a second emergency department at World Commerce Center.

The book vending machine offers an early example of how AdventHealth's involvement in a community can extend beyond providing medical care.

As a not-for-profit health system, AdventHealth reinvests resources into patient care, expanding access and programs that support the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

Brennan Asplen, superintendent of St. Johns County School District, said the partnership gives students another opportunity to make reading part of their everyday lives.

"Helping students discover books they enjoy is an important part of building strong, confident readers," Asplen said. "This new resource gives our students a fun way to celebrate reading and find stories they can continue enjoying at home."