Detroit Pistons Tip-Off Read to Achieve "March is Reading Month" Book Drive

The Detroit Pistons launched their first book drive in 2002 as part of the NBA cares Read to Achieve initiative. Since then, more than 100,000 books have been collected and used in libraries and Live Learn and Play Center renovations across the state. This year the Detroit Pistons have once again teamed with Fox2 Detroit and Read to Achieve sponsors to collect books and promote literacy once again.

Read to Achieve sponsors, Rock Financial, Sprite, Ticketmaster and the South East Michigan Bowling Centers Associations have partnered up with local Detroit elementary schools to promote reading both at school and at home. Sponsors will be collecting books at their business sites throughout the month of March. At the end of the month, the books collected will be donated directly to a local school where they will be used in the library or given to the children to take home. There will also be collection bins at all Pistons home games throughout March.

To further encourage literacy, the Pistons have challenged the students at each school to see how many books they can read throughout the month. The school that reads the most books will receive a Year Round Hoops Assembly with Coach Aaron Smith. Each student that meets the reading goal set by their teacher will also receive tickets to an upcoming Detroit Shock game.

Collection Dates	Opponent	Time
Tuesday, March 4	Pistons vs. Seattle	7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 9	Pistons vs. Chicago	8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 12	Pistons vs. Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 14	Pistons vs. San Antonio	8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 16	Pistons vs. New Orleans	3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 18	Pistons vs. Denver	7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 24	Pistons vs. Phoenix	7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 27	Pistons vs. Miami	8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 29	Pistons vs. Cleveland	7:30 p.m.

Local schools are thrilled to be involved in this year’s March is Reading Month. The teachers at Dossin Elementary, a Detroit Public School, have challenged their 405 student to collectively read 5,000 books by the end of the month. Not only are their students expected to read as many books as possible, but they will also be tested on comprehension. Dossin plans to tip-off March is Reading Month with a rally to get students “pepped up” and excited about reading.

“We wanted to kick off the love of reading for the month of March because we want students to get excited about reading, and be able to do it as enjoyment,” exclaimed first grade teacher Sharita Topps.

Library Media Specialist Angelita Davis of Dossin Elementary adds “We are getting parents involved, and working with the Pistons and Read-to-Achieve is a great tool to get them excited about reading with their children as well.”

Search for the Collection Location Closest to You:
Rock Financial, Troy	Title Source, Troy	Quicken Loans, Farmington Hills
Quicken Loans, Livonia	Quicken Loans, Livonia	Quicken Loans, Southfield
Ticketmaster, Troy	Airway Lanes, Waterford	Beech Lanes, Redford
Bonanza Lanes, Warren	Bowl One Lanes, Troy	Bowl-E-Drome, Howell
Bowlero Lanes and Lounge, Royal Oak	Bronco Lanes, Warren	Cherry Hill Lanes, Dearborn Heights
Cherry Hill Lanes-North, Clarkston	Century Bowl, Waterford	Classic Lanes, Rochester
Cloverlanes Bowl, Livonia	Colonial Lanes, Ann Arbor	Continental Lanes, Roseville
Fairlanes Bowl, Madison Heights	Five-Star Lanes, Sterling Heights	Luxury Lanes, Ferndale
Marvelanes, East Lansing	Mayflower Lanes, Redford	Mercury Lanes, Dearborn
Merri-Bowl Lanes, Livonia	Oxford Lanes, Dearborn	Plum Hollow Lanes, Southfield
Roosevelt Lanes, Allen Park	Shelby Lanes, Shelby Twp.	Skore Lanes, Troy
Sterling Lanes, Sterling Heights	Sunnybrook Lanes, Sterling Heights	Super Bowl, Canton
Thunderbird Lanes, Troy	Troy Lanes, Troy	Universal Bowl, Warren
Van Dyke Bowl, Sterling Heights	Westland Bowl, Westland	Woodhaven Lanes, Woodhaven
Woodland Lanes, Livonia	Ypsi-Arbor Lanes, Ypsilanti	Fairlanes Bowl, Grandville
The Palace-West Atrium, Auburn Hills	The Palace-Comcast Pavilion, Auburn Hills