Knicks Read To Achieve Gets Halloween Launch

Madison Square HAUNTED Garden? The Knick City GHOULS? Eighty or so third graders -- from Brooklyn's Beginning with Children School, P. S. 123, P. S. 280, and the Claremont School in Ossining, N.Y. -- had the scary time of their lives at the New York Knicks Halloween Experience. The so-fearsome-it's-fun party also served as a launch pad for this season's "NBA Read To Achieve" efforts.

"Our society's greatest challenge is dealing with literacy," said Steve Mills, President of Sports Team Operations at Madison Square Garden. "We are here to inspire you to read; reading is THE key to success down the road. It has a key role in developing children. And it'll open up so many doors for you, you will hardly believe." Starbucks, a new partner to the Knicks in "Read To Achieve", participated in the Halloween event, along with New York Knicks Antonio McDyess, Mike Sweetney, Kurt Thomas, Keith Van Horn, and Slavko Vranes; Knicks coach Don Chaney and Head Athletic Trainer Mike Saunders; NY Liberty All-Star Becky Hammon; and actress Gretchen Mol; “Sopranos” actors Dominic Chianese and Steve Schirripa; and BET host Big Tigger. "This so much fun," said Vranes. "At home, in Montenegro, I don't have any brothers and sisters, but I have lots of nieces and nephews. This is just like hanging out with them. These kids are the best. They are so great, so curious about everything, so eager to learn. This is just like being at home."

After lunch, and to the accompaniment of some extremely eerie music, the students began to prepare their Halloween skits, creating their own scary stories that somehow involved the New York Knicks. Anjelica Hawkins from P. S. 280 even scared herself: it took her teachers and Knicks staff some time to make her believe that the Tin Man and the Wicked Witch were just "regular" Knick City Dancers -- though obviously convincing actresses -- and were not going to hurt her.

Two minutes later, of course, everything was A-OK. "Are you going to write about me?"Anjelica inquired with a big smile. "I'm not scared any more!" "You are just so-o-o-o-o silly!" stated her friend Daniela Petrova. "This lady is not wicked at all!" The players and celebrities next read with the children -- everyone taking a turn, reading a page from a Halloween book "Frankenstein and Dracula Are Friends" in which, well Frankenstein and Dracula were friends. "They are not really, you know," Angelica said. "My brother told me they're not."

Once everyone digested this inside information, the kids were ready to perform their skits. Beginning With Children were a big hit with "Dracula Haunting the Garden", which told the story of Knick fans being scared away by the bloodsucking count who, of course, sleeps during the day and haunts Knicks games by night. Fans, who had to WORK during the day, were staying away from Knicks games -- until third grader Krista got the Count down for the count by tossing at him a basketball spiced by garlic, onion, salt, and pepper!

Claremont School told the story of the Wicked Witch, played by the New York Liberty's Becky Hammon, changing Keith Van Horn into a third-grader -- and vice versa! "I take PE three times a day!! I got skills!" insisted the third-grader. In the end, Van Horn triumphed over the Wicked Witch, becoming a Knicks player again.

P.S. 123 did Dracula II, a Different Version but just as scary! "We hear strange noises in the locker room," Antonio McDyess complained. "We're scared!" In the end, the P.S. 123 Dream Team dunked Dracula, and all was well.

P.S 280 concluded the festivities with a terrifying rendition of "Frankenstein, The Monster", with Slavko Vranes an amazing Frankenstein and Coach Chaney playing a very convincing Coach Chaney. Right before the Laker game, the Knicks get a new -- very tall and very stiff -- player, Frankenstein from the MBA (Monster Basketball Association). Frankie, of course, loosens up from all the good advice given to him by his friends. "That's the moral of our story," said narrator Crystal Gonzalez (an irresistible cutie who afterwards admitted she wants to be an actress when she grows up).

"I never had so much fun -- this is my THIRD time performing but this one was the best," said the Claremont School's Katherine Urgiles. "I'm so proud of myself and my mommy will be so proud of me!" "For many of the kids, this is their first time ever in New York City -- and they are meeting Knicks players and celebrities," added Claremont teacher Debbie Graham. "This is an unbelievable, unforgettable, great experience for them, one I'm sure they'll never forget. They are becoming a whole new generation of little Knicks fans. All the way down on the bus, you should have heard them: 'Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!""