Spurs Foundation Kicks-Off 14,000 Book Donation in Bexar County

On Nov. 9, the Spurs Foundation and Scholastic Inc. partnered to announce a major book donation to every first grade classroom and elementary school library in Bexar County - more than 300 schools. Each first grade classroom will receive a set of the acclaimed and award-winning "BOB Books," a step-by-step, book-by-book program created specifically to guide children through the early stages of reading. In addition, every Bexar County elementary school will receive nine selected Scholastic titles for all students to enjoy. All of the books will be delivered courtesy of United Parcel Service (UPS).

Spurs guard Steve Smith, San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza, and NBA Community Ambassador Bob Lanier, along with the Spurs Coyote and the Silver Dancers costumed as life-size dancing BOB Books kicked-off this noteworthy donation in the backyard of the SBC Center at Tynan ElementarySchool in the San Antonio ISD.

This donation was held in part with the NBA's new league-wide READ TO ACHIEVE initiative devoted to children's literacy. In San Antonio, the Spurs will implement READ TO ACHIEVE through educational programs, read aloud events with Spurs players and coaches, Spurs home game programming and free book distribution events.

The Spurs Coyote got the event started, and was soon joined by three life-size dancing "BOB Books" which kept the students smiling. Lanier talked to the children about the importance of learning to read and reading to learn, and Mayor Garza discussed how important reading was to their futures. Concluding the event, two Tynan Elementary School first-graders, Charles Garley and Kaneshia Moore, with help from Smith, Garza and Lanier, read two entire books from the BOB book sets.

This book donation from the Spurs Foundation and Scholastic Inc. will be delivered to Bexar County elementary schools courtesy of UPS the week of November 12, 2001. In November 1999, the Spurs Foundation and Scholastic Inc., purchased and donated 25,000 books to area first-graders, which were also delivered courtesy of UPS.

	Smith reads a "Bob Book" with one of Tynan's first-graders.

(L to R) Lanier, Smith, Mayor Garza and the Coyote talk with the students.

	The dancing "Bob Books" entertain the children.