In an effort to develop lifelong learners through literacy and education the Orlando Magic, along with Magic forward Ryan Anderson, Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw, STUFF the Magic Mascot and Magic Dancers will hold a “storytime” with approximately 50 local youth on Thursday, January 20 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Florida Blue Center (in Winter Park Village, 434 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 32789). The storytime is part of the Magic’s Baskets for Books program Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.
This season, the Magic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida teamed up to develop lifelong learners through the Baskets for Books Program. For every point made by the Orlando Magic at every home game, one book is donated to the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County. To date, 1,937 books have been donated (through the Jan. 7 home game) to the Early Learning Coalition. Based on last year’s points, approximately 4,000 books will be donated.
The Baskets for Books program provides a way to continue the team’s literacy efforts, one of the Magic’s three focus areas. Based on the need in this area, literacy remains a point of emphasis for the Magic (research below provided by the U.S. Department of Education).
- 80% of the preschool and after-school programs serving at-risk children do not have access to books.
- 61% of low-income families have no children’s books in their homes.
- By age four, children who live in low-income homes will have heard 32 million fewer words than children who read on a daily basis and have access to books in their home.
- Every school day in America 7,000 students drop out.
- Each year almost 1/3 of public high school students fail to graduate high school.
- It is estimated that more than 12 million students will dropout this next decade. This result will cost our nation $3 trillion.
