| 2005: Read To Achieve - Queen's Park |
 March 10, 2005 -- RAPTORS PROMOTE THE LOVE OF READING AT QUEEN?S
PARK... Jalen and some of his teammates visited Queen's Park Thursday
to promote the values and virtues of reading through the Raptors' Read
to Achieve program to the Grade 5 students of Vista Heights Public
School. Joined by The Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Education Minister Gerard Kennedy and MPP Kathleen Wynne at Queen's Park, Raptors Assistant Coach Alex English and players Jalen Rose, Matt Bonner, Milt Palacio and Aaron Williams talked to the students about the importance of literacy and on-line learning. As one of the team's most popular community development programs, Raptors Read to Achieve is responsible for inspiring tens of thousands of students across Ontario to read regularly. "Whether you're an athlete or a politician - it's important that we take advantage of our role in the community to inspire and support the next generation," said Raptors guard/forward Jalen Rose. "And encouraging kids to read and develop a love of reading are the best ways for them to get a head start in life." The passion to drive literacy begins in Ontario's highest office with the Lieutenant Governor. In 2004, Mr. Bartleman led a province-wide book drive to support school libraries that serve First Nations communities in Northern Ontario, leading to the collection of more than 1.2 million books. While the Ontario government has made student literacy, particularly among young males, a key mandate with the goal of 75 per cent of 12-year old students achieving provincial standards on province-wide testing in reading, writing and numeracy by 2008. "In light of my own commitment to promoting literacy among aboriginal youth, I am delighted to host this event to showcase the literacy initiatives of the Toronto Raptors and Ontario Ministry of Education," said Mr. Bartleman. "I believe that literacy can open up new opportunities and help young people reach their potential." "Learning to love to read will give you the foundation to help reach your goals," said Minister Kennedy. "Whether you aspire to be the Lieutenant Governor or a famous athlete on the Raptors team, you need to learn to read in order to succeed." |
