LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) announced the launch of the fourth season of their joint literacy initiative, LA Reads. Students and families can now sign up to track their daily reading and join the Dodgers Reading Champions Challenge at Dodgers.com/LAReads.

In an effort to support at-home learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dodgers and LADF will also share digital reading experiences and resources via social media that families can view, which will include read alouds from Dodger players, coaches, alumni, and educators. The Dodgers and LADF are also donating 1,600 books for students that will be distributed from the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Grab & Go Food Centers.

LA Reads was created in 2017 to help address the literacy crisis in Los Angeles by getting children excited about reading. The program involves Dodger players, coaches, executives and alumni reading to children and rewards students that participate in the “Dodgers Reading Champions” challenge, which provides incentives for 1st-8th graders who read more than 30 minutes per day. Through the program, the Dodgers and LADF hope to inspire students to read more than 1.75 million minutes this year.

LA Reads is proudly presented by Dodger partners California Resources Corporation, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11 and the National Electrical Contractors Association of LA County, and the California Pipe Trades and the California Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association. Through their ongoing partnership, they are dedicated supporters of the LA Reads Program and are proud to help inspire and empower our youth, their families, and our local communities to thrive.

“During this time, we find it important to provide children in our region with as many fun and educational tools as possible,” said LADF’s Chief Executive Officer, Nichol Whiteman. “We hope that LA Reads can offer support to families and schools as they navigate the world of distance learning and strive for continuity of education.”

“Finding time to read as a family remains an important priority during these challenging times, and we hope LA Reads can continue to motivate students to read and provide literary resources for parents throughout Southern California,” said Naomi Rodriguez, Dodger Vice President of External Affairs and Community Relations.

In 2019, over 6,000 students representing over 1,100 schools throughout Southern California read a combined total of 1.5 million minutes as part of the “Dodgers Reading Champions” program. Literacy has always been of significant importance to both the Dodgers and LADF. Partnerships with Read Across America and various activations with LA County schools underscore this commitment. LADF has invested $2.4 million in the form of education grants to nonprofit organizations in the local community, with 25% going to directly tackling the literacy crisis. This includes support to partner organizations such as the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, City Year LA, Read to a Child, Read Lead, Reading Partners LA, 826LA and Para Los Niños.

About the Dodgers:

The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with six World Series championships and 23 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence. The Dodgers are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience at Dodger Stadium, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history, and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world.

Visit the Dodgers online at www.dodgers.com, follow them on Twitter @Dodgers and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Dodgers.

For media information, visit www.dodgerspressbox.com. 

About the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation:

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is bigger than baseball with ambitions to be the city’s premier charity. We want to impact Los Angeles’ most pressing problems: improving access to education, health care, affordable housing, youth programs and social justice. Since 1995, we have invested more than $30 million in programs and grants to nonprofits, and fundraising has increased by 1,000% since 2012. That growth has enabled us to do more.

Visit LADF online at www.dodgers.com/ladf, follow them on Twitter, @DodgersFdn, Instagram @dodgersfoundation and like them on Facebook at /LosAngelesDodgersFoundation