Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova is launching the second year of the Delly’s Deer reading program at Our Next Generation (ONG) following a successful first year of the program in 2017-18. Delly’s Deer reading program seeks to increase student interest in reading among middle school and elementary school youth at ONG through an incentivized ticket program.
“Our Next Generation is an amazing organization that builds a future of opportunity for youth in the Milwaukee community through educational programming,” Dellavedova said. “My wife, Anna, and I look forward to building on our continued relationship with ONG through Delly’s Deer, a reading program created to support literacy initiatives and make reading fun.”
Last year 100 ONG students participated in the program, reading a total of 656 books, while every student attended at least one Bucks game along with members of their family. Dellavedova also partnered with Wisconsin Vision, Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin and Prevent Blindness Wisconsin to help students undergo eye exams, and outfitted nearly 70 students who needed improved vision with glasses.
This year’s program will again set reading goals for ONG students, with students who meet and exceed those goals receiving with tickets to a Bucks game at Fiserv Forum, transportation to the game and a meal voucher, courtesy of Dellavedova.
The Bucks organization also got involved with ONG last year by hosting students at the team’s front office every Thursday throughout the school year as part of ONG’s Outbound Mentoring Program. The Bucks front office staff will continue to mentor ONG’s youth this academic year as well. Dellavedova and his wife will continue to mentor and spend time with ONG students at its facility in addition to volunteering alongside the Bucks front office staff throughout the year.
A tip-off event for the second year of Delly’s Deer reading program at ONG will be announced at a later date.