C’s Visit Children’s Hospital to Tape Special Reading PSA

BOSTON (October 17, 2005) - Celtics All-Star captain Paul Pierce, rookie forward Ryan Gomes and Head Coach Doc Rivers spent time reading stories, participating in arts and crafts projects and visiting with patients at Children's Hospital Boston this afternoon. The Reading Timeout was filmed for use in a public service announcement focusing on literacy that will air beginning in November.

"This was a wonderful opportunity to share the joy of reading with patients at Children's Hospital Boston," Pierce said. "I enjoyed not only spending time with the children but also seeing that the patients are still able to enjoy the love of reading."

Members of the Boston Celtics organization and the patients spent the afternoon in the Patient Entertainment Center at the Hospital, reading books and doing arts and crafts projects. Pierce, Gomes and Rivers also discussed their favorite books and the importance of reading in their lives with the 30 patients who attended the special event.

"I am grateful that we were able to visit the patients at Children's Hospital Boston and share this important message with them," Coach Rivers said. "This was a great experience and I enjoyed being able to spend time with these children. I hope that through the Read to Achieve program we are able to reach out and help spread the joy of reading."

"It's wonderful to see the Celtics organization advocating such an important cause," said James Mandell, MD, president and CEO of Children's Hospital Boston. "We're honored that they chose to visit with Children's patients and promote the development of reading habits."

See Photos From the Visit

About Children's Hospital Boston
Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, Children's Hospital Boston today is the nation's leading pediatric medical center, the largest provider of health care to Massachusetts children, and the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. In addition to 347 pediatric and adolescent inpatient beds and comprehensive outpatient programs, Children's houses the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries benefit both children and adults. More than 500 scientists, including eight members of the National Academy of Sciences, nine members of the Institute of Medicine and 10 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Children's research community. For more information about the hospital visit: http://www.childrenshospital.org.

About the Read to Achieve Program
The NBA and its teams have developed Reading & Learning Centers and Reading Corners in partnership with schools, libraries, and community-based organizations in order to provide fun and creative places for kids to go to read, study, or work on the computer. Reading & Learning Centers and Reading Corners are supported by the NBA and its teams on a year round basis through reading programs and activities, Read to Achieve program materials, book and magazine donations and in some cases, the complete refurbishment of a Reading/Technology room. To date, there are more than 100 Reading & Learning Centers and 150 Reading Corners throughout the 30 NBA markets. The Celtics have also opened two reading and Learning Centers in Massachusetts. The program is sponsored locally by New England Eye Center and Aquafina.