October 18, 2004
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The week of October 18 is National Read to Achieve Week for the NBA. To tip-off the Trail Blazers season-long Read to Achieve agenda, Trail Blazers reading teams consisting of Trail Blazers players, coaches, staff, broadcasters, Wheel Blazers, BlazerDancers and Alumni spread out over the Portland-Metropolitan area to host reading celebrations at five elementary schools.

Each school hosted a reading celebration with the Trail Blazers Reading teams. Zach Randolph and Theo Ratliff along with their teammates and coaches gave the schools items to use as incentives for students to meet their reading goals, principals received autographed team balls to use to raise money for the schools, and tickets to a Trail Blazers game in November for all the students and staff. Each student also took home a book of their own, a gift from the team. The Trail Blazers also presented each of the five school districts a check for $1000 to enhance reading efforts in all their schools."

"We had a great time with the kids. It was kind of nerve-wracking to read in front of the kids, but we all read a page and passed it on to the next guy," said Zach Randolph.

The following schools received visits:

Peter S. Ogden Elementary, Vancouver School District

William Walker Elementary, Beaverton School District

Ellsworth Elementary, Evergreen School District

Tualatin Elementary, Tigard Tualatin School District

Prescott Elementary School, Parkrose School District

Read to Achieve
Read to Achieve, the National Basketball Association’s key community outreach initiative is a year-round campaign to help young people develop a life-long love for reading and encourage adults to read regularly with children. Reaching an estimated 50 million children a year, Read to Achieve is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports.

Trail Blazers Read to Achieve
The Blazers strive to inspire children to read and learn through the NBA’s Read to Achieve program. The organization believes if you put books in the hands of children and their families, provide fun, interactive opportunities to read together, students can be inspired to achieve the reading skills that every child needs to succeed. Through hosting reading events, distributing thousands of books to children, creating special reading rooms with non-profit partners, and allowing employees time-off to be reading mentors, the Trail Blazers management, staff and team are dedicated to providing the resources necessary to help children Read to Achieve.





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