The Russell Westbrook Why Not?
Foundation Presents Russell’s Reading Room and Russell’s
Reading Challenge
New York, NY: On October
27, 2014 at 5:00pm
CST, teachers, parents, and students at Oklahoma City
Public School’s North Highland Elementary took part in The
Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation’s opening of the
first Russell’s
Reading Room. Those
in attendance also celebrated the launch of Russell’s
Reading Challenge, sponsored by SUBWAY®.
According to
statistics, the ratio of books to children in low-income
neighborhoods is one book to every 300 children compared to
one for 13 in middle-income areas. First announced in April
2014, Russell’s Reading
Room is a literacy initiative created to combat this
very real issue and provide Oklahoma City children access to
books in a safe environment where they can read with
friends. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony officially opened
the first Russell’s Reading Room at North Highland
Elementary. Following the reveal, Westbrook, North Highland
Elementary students, parents and faculty, as well as some
members of the media, visited the room to see what great
books were stocked on the shelves. Westbrook has always
stressed the importance of education and a safe learning
environment, saying many times as part of his Why
Not? Foundation mission:
“I believe education is the simplest and most direct path
towards a better life, so I want to not only motivate these
kids to read and get involved in their education, but also
to provide them with the tools necessary to successfully
meet
my challenge.”
Russell’s Reading
Room in
North Highland Elementary is filled with 1,200
books for
children in grades Kindergarten – 5th Grade. Russell’s
Reading Room also
houses a modular reading center, a stereo CD listening
station and a listening library with fluency CDs. Russell’s
Reading Room at
North Highland is just the first of many, as Westbrook is
projected to launch two more Russell’s Reading Rooms within
a year’s time. Russell’s
Reading Room at
North Highland is just the first of many, as Westbrook is
projected to launch two more Russell’s Reading Rooms within
a year’s time.
Russell’s Reading
Challenge is
part of Scholastic’s national Read
100,000 Challenge
program that encourages students to read and log 100,000
minutes as part of a school team. Students can log their
reading minutes online at the Scholastic
READ 100,000 website.
To help get all the kids at North Highland Elementary
reading, Russell and Scholastic gave every child a $5.00
Reading Certificate to use at the Scholastic Book Fair,
ensuring that every child would own a book of their own and
be able to experience the power and joy of reading. Westbrook and
his Why
Not? Foundation have
challenged over 75,000 students of the 147 metro Oklahoma
City schools to read a combined 100,000 minutes. For
students who read at least 20 minutes a day to achieve 2,500
minutes total, SUBWAY® will
provide coupons for either a free six-inch sub to middle
school students or a free SUBWAY® Kids Pak for
elementary students. SUBWAY® will sponsor an
end-of-the-year school-wide assembly for the school that
logs the most minutes, with Russell in attendance.
The Russell
Westbrook Why Not? Foundation is
dedicated to supporting community-based education and family
service programs, while encouraging youth to believe in
themselves. Upcoming events also include the annual Why Not?
Foundation Thanksgiving Dinner, hosted by Russell in
Oklahoma City and by his parents in his hometown of Los
Angeles, CA in November. The annual Why Not? Foundation
Christmas party will be hosted by Russell in Oklahoma City
in December.