Auburn Hills, Mich. – March 04, 2008 – Here’s a stat that doesn’t show up in a box score anywhere: more than one in 10 adults in the United States read below basic literacy levels.
With this figure from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy in mind, the Detroit Pistons announce that “March is Reading Month” and will host a month-long book drive and sell limited-edition Pistons-themed t-shirts from Made in Detroit to raise money for Pistons-Palace Foundation reading and literacy programs.
In the past six years, the March is Reading Month program has donated more than 100,000 books to schools and non-profit organizations and has renovated NBA-high 18 literacy based centers. This year, the book drive is sponsored by Rock Financial, the South East Michigan Bowling Centers Association (SEMBCA), Sprite and Ticketmaster and each will be donating books to Detroit-area elementary schools.
Sponsors will set up collection bins at various locations throughout their work sites and will collect books for the month. At the end of the month, all of the books collected will be donated directly to the library of each sponsors partner school.
As part of the March initiative, the Pistons, Rock Financial and Made in Detroit teamed up to create a limited number of men’s and ladies “Pistons Graphic Tees,” featuring some of the most unique looks and Pistons-related messages available. The Made in Detroit t-shirts – Sheed Happens, Pistons Rock Detroit, Smooth CB1 — will be sold for $12 each or three for $30 on the concourse level and in the two Locker Room Stores at all Pistons home games during March. The unique gear will also be available on-line at www.pistons.com.
The participating Detroit-area elementary schools involved with sponsors will also be competing for the chance to win tickets to a 2008 Detroit Shock game, as well as a Year-Round-Hoops clinic. Students will be challenged to read as many age appropriate books as they can within the month of March. Upon the completion of the competition, the school with the most number of books read will win the grand prize of tickets and the clinic.
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