Free meals will be offered over the summer to Wayland school district children ages 18 and under, starting Monday, June 8.

“The “Summer Fanatastic Series” is being put together and sponsored by Wayland Union Schools, Chartwells, Clark Hill, GRBS, Northern Physical Therapy, Reno Agency, Triangle Construction and United Bank and our partners locations: Dorr Township Library, Henika Library, New Life Church, Voice of Hope Church, Gun Lake Community Church, Wayland United Methodist Church and United Church of Wayland as a way to provide nutrition to young people in the community while schools are not in session.

Wayland Schools Finance Director Bill Melching and Food Service Director Sarah Parr came up with a program that is open to all children, but targets Steeby and Baker elementaries, which the state has indicated have more than half their children receiving free or reduced price lunches.

Free meals will be available Monday through Friday at Steeby Elementary or the United Church of Wayland. The two buildings are adjacent to one another on East Superior Street, so going to one makes it easier to go the other, whichever is serving food that day.

Meals at other locations will be tied to certain events they are sponsoring.

Adults may purchase lunch for $4.

The opening week will start June 8 with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 1:30 to noon at Steeby and lunch from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. at the Wayland City Park. The following day will feature a snack from 10:30 to 10:50 at Steeby during a special visit by “Paleo Joe,” award-winning paleontologist, storyteller and author. Lunch will follow from 11:30 to noon.

Steeby also will have breakfast from 8:30 to 9 and lunch from 11:30 to noon on Wednesday, June 10.

Lunch on Thursday, June 11, will be served from 11:30 to noon at the United Church of Wayland and there will be dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. that evening at Gun Lake Community Church.

The first week will conclude with lunch from 11:30 to noon Friday, June 12, at United Church of Wayland.

PHOTO: “Paleo Joe,” author, storyteller and paleontologist will be special guest at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 9, at Steeby Elementary for a program about dinosaurs.