Mark The Homer Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 REDSKINS LINEBACKER CHRIS DRAFT AND THEARC TACKLE LITERACY WITH A SCREENING OF THE BLIND SIDE AND FREE BOOKS TO COMMUNITY YOUTH July 7, 2010 — Washington, DC — Washington Redskins player, Chris Draft, Founder of Project Blind Side, and the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) will host a screening of Oscar, NAACP Image Award and ESPY-nominated film THE BLIND SIDE on Thursday, July 15 at 4:30 pm at THEARC Theater located at 1901 Mississippi Avenue SE. A panel discussion will immediately follow the screening. Panelists will include Washington Redskins’ Linebacker Chris Draft, Joe Briggs of the NFLPA and Chevonne Mansfield, Assistant Director of Sports Information at Howard University. Panelists will discuss the prominent theme of literacy in the film and the importance of reading. Research taken from the Department of Education shows “… that academic achievement stalls and, for far too many disadvantaged children, actually worsens if they are not engaged in educational activities during the summer. In fact, most low-income children can lose more than two months of progress in reading achievement during the summer break.” This community screening is part of the "A Book in Every Kid’s Hands" initiative. Youth who attend the screening will be given a copy of "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game" thanks to a donation by publishing house W.W. Norton along with an additional book donation by Direct Brands. They will be asked to finish the book and write an essay on what they learned by Sunday, August 15. Ten essays will be selected as finalists and one lucky winner will win a day with Chris Draft along with great prizes. Draft is working to tie Project Blind Side into the Department of Education's broader "Let's Read, Let's Move" initiative. “I am excited to partner with Secretary Duncan as we work together to make literacy and education a priority in every home across this nation,” said Draft, who founded The Chris Draft Family Foundation in 2006 and is the author of “Do You Want To Play Catch”. “We know firsthand the difference reading and access to educational materials can have in a child’s life. We are proud to put a book in every kid’s hands to encourage literacy and learning 365 days a year.” – Chris Draft Project Blind Side will be powered by Legacy Connect’s online fundraising website www.legacyconnect.com, which will raise dollars and awareness virally for the program to ensure the project is successful in getting “A Book in Every Kid’s Hands” starting in the Washington, DC area. Based on a person-to-person fundraising model, supporters can watch inspiring videos about the program, make a donation, and invite friends to join the movement. About Chris Draft 2010 marks the beginning of Chris Draft’s 13th year in the National Football League. A linebacker, currently with the Washington Redskins, his career in the NFL also includes time on the rosters of the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams and Buffalo Bills. During 2006, Stanford University graduate Christopher Michael Draft established the Chris Draft Family Foundation with the mission of empowering families to live healthy lifestyles. A proven leader both on and off the field, Draft’s philanthropic endeavors keep him busy throughout the year as he and his Foundation are actively involved in various community projects across the country. The Foundation seeks to make a lasting, positive impact on children, families, and communities. Using the inspiration and lessons learned while working with youth and families throughout his college and professional career, Chris Draft and the Chris Draft Family Foundation engage in community projects that support youth, families, schools, civic groups and health awareness organizations. The Chris Draft Family Foundation has taken its literacy campaign nationwide through the Literacy Leadersä initiative and Draft's first published book "So You Want To Play Catch?” About Project Blind Side Project Blind Side is a partnership between Alcon Entertainment (producers of THE BLIND SIDE), The Chris Draft Family Foundation and Legacy Connect aimed at promoting the development of positive character traits as pillars that build positive and productive men and women through the 2009 blockbuster movie, THE BLIND SIDE. About THEARC Officially opened in October 2005, The Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) is a $27 million, 110,000 square-foot world-class education arts & recreation campus located east of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC’s Ward 8. THEARC is a home away from home for the many underserved children and adults of East of the River, enabling them to participate in dance classes, music instruction, fine arts, academics, continuing education, mentoring, tutoring, recreation, and medical and dental care and other services at substantially reduced cost or no cost at all. "We are pleased that Chris Draft is working with THEARC as he brings his commitment to working with families to the greater Washington community," said Edmund Fleet, Executive Director of The Town Hall Education Arts & Recreation Campus in Washington, DC. "The mission of the Chris Draft Family Foundation to engage in community projects that support youth, families, schools, civic groups and health awareness organizations is a perfect fit for the mission of THEARC. We look forward to hosting the screening of THE BLIND SIDE and the related programming that is focused on developing positive character traits as pillars that build positive and productive men and women." About Legacy Connect Legacy Connect is a media and technology company that builds communities and online donations for causes. Legacy has developed a turnkey marketing and technology platform that is the first to integrate the 5Cs (celebrity, corporations, content, causes and consumers) to generate traffic and drive revenue for non-profits. Legacy is a trusted online destination for people to connect with the causes they care most about allowing those individuals to take action that make a difference in this world in a way that is fun, inspiring, and deeply fulfilling. Legacy’s mission is about connecting communities to create change. All Legacy campaign activities including donations will be contained on the Legacy Connect Platform, www.legacyconnect.com. Additional information about donating to Project Blind Side can be found at: http://legacyconnect.com Additional information about THEARC can be found at: www.thearcdc.org ### For further information, please contact Monica Palenzuela Costa at 202-464-8507. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Adama Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 Very cool!! I like reading this stuff! Thanks for posting it MTH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark The Homer Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 I would think they would prefer to tackle illiteracy and let literacy run amok - but what do I know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulRebel Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 I would think they would prefer to tackle illiteracy and let literacy run amok - but what do I know? I would at least say you know how to make a great thread title. Didn't think the thread would live up to the huge title, but it had all that and then some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark The Homer Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 um, well, the thread title is just a paste, but thank-you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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