Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Dec. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NFL Alumni Association announced today that it is teaming up with the University of Chicago My Very Own Library Program and Scholastic Book Fairs to help more than 50,000 students “tackle reading”. In keeping with its mission of “Caring for Kids” across the country, the NFL Alumni Association will participate in read-alouds and family literacy events at 94 MVOL partner schools throughout the 2019 – 2020 program year in Chicago, IL; Newark, NJ; Milwaukee, WI; Kansas City, MO; Richmond, CA; and Delaware.
“NFL Alumni Association is proud to partner with The University of Chicago’s My Very Own Library Program and Scholastic Book Fairs on this inspiring endeavor that champions the importance of books, reading, and family literacy, and engages our players in the community.” – Bart Oates, President NFL Alumni Association
A public announcement and celebration hosted by the United Way of Greater Newark (UWGN), the University of Chicago My Very Own Library program’s partner, was held today at Newark Public School’s South Street School. The event celebrated the program’s partnerships, book ownership and reading, and the visiting NFL football legends in attendance, including NFL Alumni President Bart Oates. Following the pep rally, NFL alumni also joined local high school football players in visiting classrooms to read aloud to students. The day’s events also featured a Scholastic Book Fair, the exclusive book fair and book supply partner to the UChicago My Very Own Library program, where students each selected five free new books to add to their home libraries. According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™: 7th Edition, the majority of kids ages 6–17 agree their favorite books are ones that they have picked out themselves.
“An integral part of the University of Chicago is living ‘a life of the mind’. Any time community partners can share their love of reading with young people, that enhances and develops critical thinking and civic engagement. We are excited to be in partnership with the NFL Alumni across our 6 United States cities and look forward to working with more schools and cities in the years to come.” – Duane Davis, Executive Director K12 Education Initiatives, The University of Chicago
About University of Chicago My Very Own Library
My Very Own Library was founded in 2011. It was designed to foster a lifelong love of learning in children, while also helping them to own and take pride in their home library collection. The program has served more than 50,000 students and distributed more than 2 million books since its inception. This 2019-2020 school year, with national headquarters out of the University of Chicago, the program will give away more than 500,000 free books to over 50,000 students in the United States and the Dominican Republic. https://myveryownlibrary.uchicago.edu
About NFL Alumni Association
NFL Alumni was founded in 1967 and is the oldest and most recognizable national organization of retired professional athletes. NFL Alumni consists of former NFL players, coaches, executives, spouses, cheerleaders, and associate members. NFL Alumni’s mission “Caring for our Own” is to serve, assist and inform its members and their families. NFL Alumni also has a traditional mission of “Caring for Kids” across the country. Player alumni give back in their local communities by raising funds for youth-related charities through their 35 regional chapters. It is a tradition that has existed for more than 50 years. Alumni support typically raises more than $1.5 million dollars for worthwhile causes. To accomplish our mission & vision, we have established the NFL Alumni Foundation which is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information please visit www.nflalumni.org.
About Scholastic Book Fairs
Scholastic Book Fairs is a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company. For more information about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), visit the Company’s media room at: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.