The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Host "Books For Baskets" Beginning Thursday
1/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB women's basketball team has always been very active within the local community and the Blazers have now taken on yet another project. UAB Athletics, the UAB women's basketball team and UAB's School of Education have joined forces to present the first-ever "Books for Baskets" reading program that has been implemented in the area elementary schools.
A total of 32 schools in the Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties with students between 3rd and 6th grades were invited to participate in the program, which has been headed by Bill Tevendale, Senior Director of Development and External Affairs for UAB's School of Education. The program is designed to provide books to the schools through writing, reading and sports.
The writing portion of the program had students in the participating grades of the selected schools write an essay of 75 words or less about various topics pertaining to education and sports. The top four articles in each school, which were decided by school officials, will combine to receive $250 worth of books for their school.
The first round of the basketball section of the program began with each participating school picking one team of three players to represent their school in a shootout. The first round shootout, which took place at the respective schools, narrowed the schools from 32 down to 12 by the highest point totals from the shootout. The 20 schools which did not advance to the next round will be given $250 worth of books for each school.
Now begins the second round of the basketball competition, which will feature the 12 schools with the highest point totals from round one. Those 12 schools will be split into three groups of four schools each and will compete in the second round of shooting at Bartow Arena during halftime of one of the upcoming UAB women's basketball games.
From there, the top four scoring teams will move on to the Final Four, which will be held on Thursday, February 15 at halftime of the UCF vs. UAB women's basketball game. Schools that are in the top 12, but do not advance to the Final Four, will receive $500 worth of books. The winning team will earn $2,000 worth of books for their school, while the other three teams that made it to the Final Four will receive $1,000 worth of books.
The final part of this program will feature UAB athletes, students and professors, along with local business leaders and members of the Children's Literacy Guild of Alabama, who will deliver the books to the final 12 schools and spend a few hours reading the books to the children.
Schedule for "Books For Baskets" at UAB Women's Basketball games:
Thursday, January 18 - 7 p.m.
East Carolina vs. UAB
Walter Kennedy (Pell City)
Green Valley (Hoover)
Wylam (Birmingham)
Center Street (Birmingham)
Saturday, January 27 - 6 p.m.
Memphis vs. UAB
Cahaba Heights (Vestavia)
Corner School (Jefferson)
Hueytown (Jefferson)
Jones Valley (Birmingham)
Wednesday, February 7 - 7 p.m.
UTEP at UAB
Gwin (Hoover)
Liberty Park (Vestavia)
Minor Community (Jefferson County)
Greenwood (Bessemer)
Thursday, February 15 - 7 p.m.
UCF at UAB
Final Four
