Rotary Club, ORHS football players team up to promote literacy

 

Oak Ridge Wildcats football players and head coach Joe Gaddis recently took part in a virtual reading project in partnership with The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools Preschool. Here is how the project began, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Schools Preschool had a need for additional books and supplies. They also needed volunteers to read to their students. The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge learned about the need and devised a plan to help. Rotary members purchased age-appropriate books and additional supplies for the school. Because of COVID-19, they were unable to visit the Preschool to read with the students, so club members videoed themselves reading those books to share with students, the press release said. Then, the Club decided to present the opportunity to the ORHS Wildcats football team. They eagerly accepted.

 

The only thing better than an adult reading to a child is a teenager taking time to read to a child, the press release said.

“All the better if that teenager happens to be an Oak Ridge High School football player,” the release said.

The players who participated are rising seniors, and they included Tyrese Allmon, Gabriel Bradshaw, Luke Calhoun, Ethan Hewitt, Zaylon Hill, Kendall Jackson, Markus Melton, JK Morgan, Jacob Oldham, Darren Osborne, and Walker Rice, the press release said. The players were recorded on video in the ORHS Studio while reading various preschool books to be shared with students at the Oak Ridge Schools Preschool.

Planning is under way to have more ORHS students participate in this virtual reading project, the press release said.

 

“ORHS students are excited to have the opportunity to inspire future Wildcats with the love of reading,” the release said. “Both the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge and the Wildcats football team appreciate the support of the ORHS administration as well as Mr. Kolodney for the use of the school studio for the video recordings.”

For more information about the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, visit http://www.rotaryor.org/.