Tar Heels Help Kids Read Like Champions

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina student-athletes shared their love of reading with local elementary school students earlier this month, visiting 37 classrooms in nine different schools for the annual Read Like a Champion Day.

On Feb. 5, Tar Heel student-athletes fanned out across Chapel Hill and Carrboro, reading a variety of books and answering an even greater variety of questions from the kids, who wondered about everything from their guests' majors to their NFL allegiances (the Super Bowl was looming that weekend) to how they picked their jersey numbers.

"This was my first year getting to participate in Read Like a Champion Day and I'm very grateful I was able to go," said Trevor Collins, a junior on the UNC football team. "It was refreshing to see the energy, enthusiasm and joy in all of the kids. They all have big dreams and I hope we were able to inspire them a little bit!"

The day, which coincided with World Read Aloud Day, is sponsored each by Duke Energy. In addition to a visit from the Tar Heels, each school gets Scholastic books and Carolina bookmarks to keep. This year, a total of 900 books and bookmarks was donated to various schools.

"Literacy is the foundation of every child's education, and it's important that students are equipped at a young age with the reading skills needed to thrive," said Stephen De May, Duke Energy's North Carolina President. "We're proud to team up with UNC and its outstanding student-athletes to foster a passion for learning at local elementary schools by making reading fun and exciting for students."

University of North Carolina Athletics

Related Videos