BIRMINGHAM SQUADRON TO HOST LITERACY DAY AT LEGACY ARENA TO PROMOTE READING IN ALABAMA

- Squadron will host over 3,500 students at Legacy Arena on Monday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m.

- Squadron partnered with I See Me, Inc. to coordinate “Battle of the Books” reading contest in local schools

- Over 54,000 books read in schools around the Birmingham area over the last month as part of the contest

CLICK HERE for a link to the premiere of I See Me, Inc.’s “Real Men Read” campaign, featuring Squadron guard Ra’Shad James

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 4, 2022) – The Birmingham Squadron, NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, will be hosting over 3,500 students at Legacy Arena on Monday, March 4 as part of the team’s inaugural Literacy Day. The team scheduled the Monday matchup against the Texas Legends at 11:00a.m. to give schools an opportunity to bring students to a game.

As part of literacy day, the Squadron collaborated with I See Me, Inc. to assist in their mission to promote reading through “Battle of the Books”, a reading contest challenging schools all over the Birmingham area to see who could read the most books. During the contest from January 25 through February 25, 35 schools participated and over 54,000 books were read by students in the area.

The top three schools in the “Battle of the Books” contest were McCalla Elementary, Abrams Elementary and Greenwood Elementary. As a reward, all three schools will participate in a halftime contest on the court during Monday’s game.

“March is designated as National Reading Month, encouraging Americans of all ages to read every day,” said Devon Frazier, Founder and CEO of I See Me, Inc. “Reading is an important aspect of life that is often taken for granted. It is embedded into everything we do. In connection with National Reading Month and throughout the year, I See Me Inc. promotes literacy beginning with our annual "Real Men Read" program. Real Men Read allows children to engage with successful male role models through books and reading. This year's theme, "Read Like a Champion" features NFL players Chad Slade, Chris Goode, Justin Tuck, NBA G League, Birmingham Squadrons Rashad James, and other special guests.”

“I See Me, Inc. believes that it truly takes a village to raise a reader. It is our mission to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline through literacy,” said Frazier. “We thank the Birmingham Squadron for their partnership with "Literacy Day,” engaging the youth throughout the city with the Battle of the Books reading challenge and welcoming them to our village as we work to ensure that literacy is not a stumbling block toward their quest for success.”

I See Me, Inc is premiering “Real Men Read” program, which includes Squadron guard Ra’Shad James – a link to the premiere video can be seen HERE.

“When we first began the planning process for our inaugural season here in Birmingham we knew we wanted to make an impact on the youth in the area,” said David Lane, Squadron General Manager of Business Operations. “It is amazing to see our vision come to fruition with Literacy Day. We can’t wait to have all of the schools out at Legacy Arena on Monday morning, and we hope the impact of Literacy day will continue to grow for years and years to come. I’d like to thank Devon Frazier and I See Me, Inc. along with Mark Sullivan with Birmingham City Schools and Autumn Jeter with Bessemer City Schools for all being integral parts in making this day happen!”

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