Dallas Stars Foundation brings books, fines relief to Plano elementary school
Every one of Barron Elementary’s 344 students picked three books, while library fines were erased and a $15,000 check added to the campus.
Barron Elementary School in Plano got a literacy push with immediate payoff: every one of its 344 students chose three books to take home, 300 more books were added to the library and outstanding library fines were cleared so students could borrow again.
The Dallas Stars Foundation and National Life Group turned the Plano campus into a book-and-hockey event that carried a direct financial boost as well, including a $15,000 check for the school. Barron Elementary, 3300 Avenue P in Plano, describes itself as the Home of the Bigcats and says its mission is to build a strong community that supports independent learners and leaders.
The giveaway mattered because the campus serves students with real resource gaps. Barron Elementary has a 89% Title I designation, an 80% English-language-learner population and 13% of students experiencing homelessness. That is the kind of school where free books are not a perk, but access.
The visit was selected through Scholastic because of demonstrated need, and it fit the Dallas Stars Foundation’s broader literacy push. Its Stick with Reading program is meant to encourage elementary students to read outside the classroom and rewards classes with the highest average minutes read each month. The foundation’s Fitness Stars program adds a physical component by bringing floorball hockey to schools through Dallas Stars Xtreme Team visits and equipment donations.
That is why the Barron event mixed books with a ball hockey clinic. The Xtreme Team was on campus, giving the day a sports element that matched the Stars brand while keeping the focus on reading, school spirit and family engagement. Victor E. Green also took part, adding one of the organization’s recognizable mascots to the assembly atmosphere.
National Life Group said its partnership with the Dallas Stars began in 2023 and that the two organizations share a community-focused mission. The company’s Stars Save Program donates $5 for every Dallas Stars goalie save, up to $20,000 annually, and National Life Group said the program has already raised $40,000 and was working toward another $20,000 in 2025.
The Plano stop followed a similar Stars and National Life Group book fair at Cedar Crest Elementary in Dallas on Feb. 5, 2026, where each student received three books, 300 more books were donated and the event included a Fitness Stars Ball Hockey Clinic and a $15,290 check presentation. In Barron’s case, the immediate result was even more practical: more books in children’s hands, fewer barriers in the library and another infusion of cash into a campus serving some of Collin County’s highest-need elementary students.
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