Orlando Magic Players
Maurice Harkless and E’Twaun Moore Joined the Magic and
Florida Blue to Promote Literacy to Youth
By Josh Cohen, orlandomagic.com ny, 40 kids in Central Florida are
he Orlando Magic is on a mission now more aware of the importance
to change some very disheartening of reading and books.
statistics.
As part of the Baskets for Books proThey include attempting to increase gram, which has a purpose of develthe number of children’s books oping lifelong learners through litlow-income families have in their eracy and education, a “storytime”
homes (currently stands at 61 per- was held for 40 local youth on Tuescent) and multiply the number of day, February 11 at the Florida Blue
words kids in those same living con- Center in Winter Park.
ditions hear on a daily basis through
reading.
Harkless, Moore and Florida Blue
Chairman and CEO Patrick GerBy age four, children living in low-in- aghty joined together to read to the
come homes have heard 32 million children and also handed out healthy
fewer words than children who read snacks to preach the significance of
regularly and
have access to
books.
With
help
from
Magic
players Maurice Harkless
and E’Twaun
Moore, Community
Ambassadors Nick
Anderson and
Bo Outlaw and
representatives
from Florida
Blue and the
Houghton Mifflin & Harcourt
(HMH) Publishing Compa-
staying fit through a balanced diet
and exercise.
“Reading is pretty much the foundation of anything you do,” Harkless said. “It’s important for kids to
enjoy reading at a young age. It’s fun
to be part of something like this.”
“They (kids) see us on TV playing
and look up to us so telling them that
reading and their education is important hopefully will make them
want to continue improving their
reading skills,” Moore added.