The Bulls and Fifth Third Bank tipped-off the second season of the team’s Read To Achieve program on October 24, 2002, at the Berto Center training facility with 135 children from local elementary schools.

The league-wide National Basketball Association initiative was launched in the fall of 2001 as an effort by all 29 NBA teams to inspire literacy by encouraging families and adults to read regularly with young children.

The entire Bulls team along with members of their All-Star Reading Team hosted children from Lowell Elementary School (Wheaton), Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (Chicago) and Green Bay Elementary (North Chicago).

The students rotated through stations on the Berto Center basketball court where they participated in an interactive reading activity, played literacy games and completed a craft. Each student was presented with books and materials to encourage reading throughout the school year to take home.

Through the year-long Read To Achieve program, the Bulls will host monthly reading events for local children, build a reading and learning center in the area, distribute 5,000 books locally, host a book drive and coordinate a spelling bee for Chicagoland students.

As part of the program, the Bulls have enlisted the support of a 25-member All-Star Reading Team including players and their relatives, Chicago dignitaries, local media members and Bulls and NBA representatives. Fifth Third Bank is the official sponsor of the 2002-03 program.

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