MONTMORENCY CO., MI -- Reading to your child not only strengthens the parent-child relationship, it is also a great teaching tool.

In this month's “Your Town Hero,” we focus on a retired couple that wants all kids in Montmorency County to have a book in their hands.

Muriel Moore and her husband Art Raske strongly believe that literacy is a key to success.

"If they don't get involved in that, when they get to school, then they don't know anything about what a book is, or a number, or a letter," said Art.

About 15 years ago, Art wanted to give kids an edge.  He began the Lamplighters of Montmorency County, a program to help promote and raise the level of literacy of children in kindergarten and beyond.  Lamplighters helps raise community awareness, and stresses the importance of parents reading to their children.  Art's wife was on board.

"When you're doing this kind of work, there's something tangible, something real, something concrete that you can really take satisfaction in, and it's fun!" said Muriel.

"They have both opened a lot of doors to parents and children that weren't opened before as far as exposing children to reading," said Wendy Burden, the president of Lamplighters.

With their program taking off, Art and Muriel wanted to offer more, and in came The Dolly Parton Imagination Library.  With it, all Montmorency County kids can get a brand new book free every month from the day they're born until they turn 6.

When the kids join the Dolly Pardon library, the first book the kids receive is "The Little Engine That Could," and in fact, that's the Lamplighter's of Montmorency's slogan.  They want the kids to know they can.

"I comfort myself in we're doing something serious in preventing your kid from being an adult semi-illiterate," said Art.

"This has been a very satisfying effort, so yeah, whatever I could do to help," said Moore.

And that is why Art Raske and Muriel Moore share March's title of “Your Town Hero."

Right now, 231 children are enrolled in Lamplighters.

The group's long-term goal is to expand outside of Montmorency County.

To learn more about Lamplighters, CLICK HERE.

If you'd like to nominate the next "Your Town Hero, email Andrew at akeller@upnorthlive.com.  Let him know why the person you nominate deserves to be spotlighted.