November 5, 2007 – In a competition like no other, passionate students and alumni join forces to show their school spirit and to inspire Los Angeles children with a love of reading. Saturday, November 10 will mark the fifth annual College Spirit Day – a friendly competition put on by Reading to Kids – where schools compete to see which institution can garner the most volunteers to read for the grassroots children’s charity.

“There’s an amazing energy at each of our reading clubs, and College Spirit Day takes that to a whole new level,” said Jessica Tritsch, program director, Reading to Kids. “The best part is that this event gets many of the children thinking about college for the very first time.”

For College Spirit Day, volunteers are asked to wear clothing that bears the logo of their current school or Alma Mater. The school with the most volunteers wearing colors is named the Reading to Kids College Spirit Day Champion. UCLA won the competition the first two years, CSUN won in year three, and last year USC delivered a last minute upset with one more volunteer than UCLA! 

“We want the title back,” said Rachel Zwass, Reading to Kids volunteer and UCLA student. “The Bruins are ready to break all the records.”

Other colleges and universities with impressive showings in the past include Stanford University, Pepperdine University, Berkeley, Cal State LA, CSULB, and Loyola Marymount University.

Reading to Kids is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring underserved children with a love of reading – enriching their lives and opportunities in the future.  On the second Saturday of every month, Reading to Kids brings together a diverse group of volunteers from across Los Angeles all with the goal of encouraging kids to read.

Volunteers gather at seven elementary schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) – Esperanza, Gratts, Hoover, Los Angeles, Magnolia, Politi, and Charles White Elementary schools – where they read to kids from kindergarten through fifth grade, take part in a crafts activity, and interact with the kids and with each other.

“Not only is this event a fun way to recruit new volunteers, it also sends a powerful message of encouragement to every child that attends,” said Tritsch. “We care deeply about the community, and we’re on a mission to touch as many lives as we can.”

For more information about Reading to Kids, or to sign up as a reader, please log on to our Web site at www.readingtokids.org. 

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About Reading to Kids
Reading to Kids is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring underserved children with a love of reading – enriching their lives and opportunities in the future.  On the second Saturday of every month, Reading to Kids brings together a diverse group of volunteers from across Los Angeles to have a blast inspiring kids to read.  For more information about Reading to Kids, or to sign up as a volunteer reader, please log onto www.readingtokids.org.

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