CLEVELAND, OH - November 6, 2009 - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Anthony Parker and forward Jawad Williams took time after practice Wednesday afternoon at Cleveland Clinic Courts to read to 50 students from the Douglas MacArthur Girls’ Leadership Academy and Kenneth Clement Boys’ Leadership Academy in a Green-themed Read to Achieve event. With the players help, the children learned a lesson from a mythical creature from the Dr. Seuss book, “The Lorax,” about the importance of taking care of the environment.

In “The Lorax” a forest is destructed when the greedy Mr. Once-ler cuts down all the Truffula Trees to make thneeds, despite warnings from a shortish, oldish and brownish Lorax to take care of the environment instead of always taking from it.

Following the Reading Time Out, the students received a tour of the Cleveland Clinic Courts to get a firsthand look on how being environmentally responsible is a big part of the Cavaliers organization. Cleveland Clinic Courts manager David Painter took time to show the children how the Cavs have heeded the lesson of the Lorax – there are no greedy Mr. Once-lers nearby!

The Cavaliers practice facility in Independence is setting the bar league-wide on being environmentally friendly. As the students walked the halls that the players roam, they saw how the Cavs save energy by using motion detector sensors that turn off lights when no one is in the room, just like they turn lights off at home. They were in awe when shown the dinnerware the players use is biodegradable – plastic cups are made out of cornstarch and to-go containers, plates and bowls are made from Bagasse (sugar cane plant).

That was not all! The students learned the water retention pond behind the courts isn’t for fishing, but controls storm water run-off to prevent flooding and erosion and improves water quality in the adjacent rivers and streams. At the end of the tour, they discussed all the recycling opportunities the Cavs have throughout the facility, and were rewarded with a Pepsi recycling bin for plastic and cans to take back to their schools so they can practice what they’ve learned all year long!