A Cascade County Sheriff's Office deputy proved that reading really does pay off when he lifted 405 pounds at Simms High School after students completed a few weeks long reading challenge.
Community Resource Deputy Andre Lugo attempted the impressive lift based on the total number of pages students read during their 28-minute daily reading sessions. The more pages the students read, the heavier the weight Lugo would attempt to lift.
"Yeah, working my way up. Each grade had its own, amount of pages that they read and which led to a certain amount of weight. And so just working my way up to the heaviest one in the sixth grade took it all," Lugo said.
Sara Davidson, a grade 6-12 music teacher at Simms High School, explained how the reading curriculum worked leading up to the event.
"Each day they would read for their 28 minutes and we would calculate each day how many pages each student read, and then we would add them all together," Davidson said.
For Davidson, Lugo's involvement goes far beyond the reading challenge. She says he plays a vital role in the school community's safety and well-being.
"He's helped us with, a lot of preparation for our lockdowns, our fire drills. He's here in the halls. Students have talked to him. If they've had traumatic experiences, they know his face. And that's really helped them with a lot of the problems that they've had at home or just in their lives," Davidson said.
Lugo says his goal is to show students he's approachable and there to support them beyond his law enforcement duties.
"I love being at the schools. The kids love it when I'm here. I love doing things for them and helping them out and making them feel safe. And I want them to know that I'm not just a cop, that I can. I'm not here to just write tickets. You know? They can come talk to me whenever," Lugo said.
The deputy will put his strength to the test again soon. Lugo says he will be competing at the Great Falls CrossFit event "Rumble in the Big Sky" on December 6. He is looking to break the record of 385 pounds in the pause bench press for his weight class.
