April 7, 2003 -- The Chicago Bulls and Fifth Third Bank recently completed renovations to create a new Reading and Learning Center at the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education – Roosevelt (ICRE-R). Bulls players Marcus Fizer, Roger Mason, Jr. and Jay Williams officially opened the Chicago Bulls Reading and Learning Center at the ICRE-R facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today.

During the past month, Bulls players and volunteers have been joined by ICRE staff and students as they painted the room in Bulls colors (red, black and white), carpeted and furnished a reading corner, installed bookshelves with a complete collection of reading and learning materials and created audio reading stations. Audio books, CD-ROM encyclopedias, CD players and a VCR/DVD unit were also donated to create a complete audio/visual resource room.

The players were joined by other members of the Bulls All-Star Reading Team as the room was officially opened. Althea Williams, mother of Jay Williams, Bulls television broadcaster Tom Dore and Bulls coordinator of player development Bill Wennington were on hand to assist with the opening and join the students for a Reading Time-Out.

Mason Jr.

Williams

As part of their ongoing Read To Achieve program, the Bulls and Fifth Third Bank have committed to building a Reading and Learning Center each year at a Chicago youth facility. The new centers are intended to assist with the program’s mission of inspiring literacy by encouraging families and adults to read regularly with young children by providing areas that are conducive to reading. The new Chicago Bulls Reading and Learning Center at ICRE-R will be accessible to all students and faculty who live in and attend the learning institution.

The Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt (ICRE-R) is a state-run residential facility located in the West Side Medical District serving children and young adults with severe physical disabilities and health-related issues. The facility provides a continuum of education and related services to these students at no cost to the students’ families. Programs are designed to give students the ability to experience and learn life-long skills and create a vision of a desirable future lifestyle.

The Bulls and Fifth Third Bank launched the second season of the Read To Achieve program in October, 2002 in conjunction with the league-wide National Basketball Association (NBA) initiative. The Read To Achieve program has been in operation by all 29 NBA teams since the fall of 2001.

As part of their year-long Read To Achieve program, the Bulls host frequent reading events for local children, build a Reading and Learning Center in the Chicago area, distribute 5,000 books locally, host a book drive and coordinate the Chicago Public Schools Team Spelling Bee. 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 literacy program.