WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS -- Reading is a part of everyday life. From the menu at a restaurant to the signs on the roadways, people stay informed on news by reading.
Browns defensive back 
The students at Dewey Elementary compiled over 5,000 minutes of reading during the competition.
“While the Browns were playing on the field, these kids were here in the classroom just reading away and learning and discovering things through stories,” said Jenner Tekancic, manager of community outreach for the Browns. “The beauty of the Touchdown for Reading program is that we combined the local library resources with that of the schools to really reach kids, K-8, to offer them incentives for reading. Reading is something they’ll carry throughout their lives and it’s very important that the kids learn at a young age to love to read and love to learn about different and exciting things.”
Norwood and Young talked with two groups of students and awarded books to winners of a raffle. They also helped lead the students in a chant of “Here we go Brownies, here we go. Woof, Woof!”
“It brings me back to my childhood days and thinking about reading and thinking about books I used to read; it’s cool that they knew some of the books,” Norwood said of the visit. “It’s been very important. It’s obviously something you learn at a young age in elementary school and something that you need to know. It’s just very important.”
Young added, “It was a great time. Seeing how much the kids read, I think back to my elementary years -- first and second grade -- and I started to think about some of the older books that I used to read and how I was lost in books for days. Seeing how much they read, I’m like, ‘Dadgum, they read more than I did.’ It’s a good time seeing them start on the right path.”
Through Touchdown for Reading, kids in Kindergarten through eighth grades had the chance to win Browns monthly incentive prizes at their local library for reading. For every minute read, one yard was gained in the program and once kids hit 100 yards, they scored a Touchdown for Reading.
The Touchdown for Reading program took place from August-November and 3,224,241 minutes of reading were logged by more than 2,100 participants. The reading program is in partnership with Cleveland Clinic, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Stark County District Library and Wadsworth Library.
“It’s very important because you look at the numbers and so many kids are getting into other things that are negative and when you see them in a book, that’s a positive influence,” Young said. “Seeing them do the things that the teachers say, it’s another positive influence. Every time I step out to a school, I reflect on where I was and how I was developing and their development right now. It’s amazing, just seeing the kids and how they’re bright-eyed. They’re just listening and they’re zoned in. It’s just an amazing experience for me and I’m glad they enjoyed it too.”
Stay connected to the Browns from your phone with our text alerts and free mobile app! Sign up for texts or download the app today!
