Local nonprofit celebrates eight years of reading success and prepares for its sixth annual Storybook 5K & Fun Run on
A Community Rooted in Faith and Service
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A familiar face in Huntsville’s classrooms and community, Holly McMichael has spent much of her life investing in local children and families. Born and raised in Huntsville, she graduated from Huntsville High School in 1993 and later returned to teach at Scott Johnson Elementary School. Today, she leads A Time 2 Read, a faith-based literacy program dedicated to helping second graders strengthen their reading skills through one-on-one coaching.
“I’m Holly McMichael, grew up here in Huntsville,” she said on Good Morning Huntsville. “I have three kids — Elijah, who gets married next month, and our daughter Trinity, who’s a senior varsity soccer player at Huntsville High School. We’re about to be empty nesters all in one year.”
McMichael and her husband, BJ, have deep roots in the community. “We like to spend time together,” she said with a smile. “It’s just fun watching the Lord do what He’s doing in our kids, and we didn’t raise them to live at home forever.”
Building Readers, One Child at a Time
A Time 2 Read began in 2018 as a pilot program at Scott Johnson Elementary, where McMichael was teaching. “We started in January of 2018,” she recalled. “Now A Time 2 Read is actually a third grader — it’s eight this year. We’ve been doing it for eight years on all four elementary campuses.”
The organization trains volunteers who meet weekly with two students for about an hour, focusing on sight-word accuracy and literacy confidence. “We have over 120 volunteers right now,” McMichael said. “By the end of last year, we had over 140 volunteers and coached over 190 students.”
Volunteers are the heart of the program. “They’re really my heroes,” she said. “We train them. They give 50 minutes to an hour a week and coach two kids each. It’s fun to watch the relationship that’s built because they start calling them my kids. They take ownership of their kids.”
McMichael often sees firsthand how those bonds make a difference. “It captures so much what happens between a student and an adult when you have someone who gives their time,” she said, describing a photo of a volunteer walking a child back to class hand-in-hand. “Rita Pierson said every child needs a champion — that’s what my volunteers are.”
Storybook 5K & Fun Run Returns November 1
One of the program’s biggest fundraisers and community celebrations, the Storybook 5K & Fun Run, takes place on Saturday, Nov. 1 at University Heights Baptist Church. “This is our sixth year,” McMichael said. “We started COVID year. By November of COVID year, people were ready to be outside, see people, and have some fun.”
Runners and walkers are invited to come dressed as their favorite storybook characters. “Depending on what your costume is, if you want to dress up and come run with us, it’s great,” she said. “We do prizes for best child, best individual, and best family. It’s been fun over the years — we’ve had families like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and 101 Dalmatians.”
McMichael said the race offers options for all fitness levels. “You can walk, run, push a stroller, or bring your dog,” she said. “It’s just a fun opportunity for the community to get out and support a great cause. Help us keep doing what we’re doing.”
Giving Back to a City That Gave So Much
Holly and BJ McMichael’s commitment to service is woven into their lives. “Huntsville’s a boomerang town — it has a way of drawing you back,” she said. “My great-grandfather was one of the charter members and the first song leader at University Heights Baptist Church. My kids are fifth-generation members.”
She credits her parents for showing her what it means to serve. “My mom was a school nurse, my dad owned a business in town,” she said. “I watched two people growing up who served so well and worked really hard. Service is part of our DNA — it’s what we do.”
Reflecting on her years in education, McMichael added, “Teaching them words is so important, but the relationship — when they look back, they may not remember who their volunteers were, but they’ll remember somebody took time to be with me.”
Supporting Literacy Across Huntsville
A Time 2 Read continues to grow, fueled by local volunteers, school partnerships, and events like the Storybook 5K & Fun Run. “Our tagline is Save a Child. Save a Family. Save a City,” McMichael said. “It’s a domino effect. It’s a great opportunity for Huntsville to get out and help support our public school kids.”
To learn more, register for the race, or volunteer, visit www.atime2read.org.