Aug. 23, 2005

FRESNO, Calif. - In helping to keep awareness for children's literacy at the forefront, Fresno State head men's basketball coach Steve Cleveland will join Congressman George Radanovich (R-Mariposa) and other dignitaries at Jefferson Elementary in downtown Fresno on Thur., Aug. 25, 10:15 a.m., for a new community-wide launch called "Timeout for Books."

Helping promote the need for literacy so that every child can read at grade level by the end of the third grade, this unique book drive partnership will look to collect 10,000 books for the ReadFresno program.

The focus of this initiative will be on those children reading below grade level in Fresno County. ReadFresno already offers two of the critical resources required by existing reading programs: volunteers and books. Ensuring children are equipped with educational tools and provided with one-on-one tutoring necessary to read at grade level, this community-based approach is the newest project to battle childhood illiteracy.

This past academic school, Fresno State student-athletes worked in conjunction with One by One Leaders and collected more than 1,200 children's books for the inaugural ReadFresno Drive.

In addition, Congressman Radanovich also will announce a volunteer effort involving his Fresno District Office staff and ReadFresno at Jefferson Elementary, which is located on 202 North Mariposa Street.

Need for such a project:

80% of the prison population are either low-level or non-readers

For more information, please visit ReadFresno.org or contact Dr. Skip Sherwood, Professor Emeritus of Marketing (559) 250-8977.