99th Street Elementary School Book Donation Event Includes Reading Pep Rally with Radio Disney

What:
Book donation and pep rally in conjunction with Family Fridays

When:
Friday, February, 25, 2011
12:45 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.                                          

Where:
99th Street Elementary
9900 Wadsworth Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Who:
LAPD Southeast Area Commanding Officer Captain Phillip Tingirides
LAPD Southeast Area Community Relations Office Personnel                       
Radio Disney Representatives
Stephanie Stark Hope Foundation Founder and CEO Shelia Stark
    
Why:
To promote reading and reading proficiency at the LAPD Southeast Area’s 5th Annual Reading Roundup and Pep Rally in conjunction with the Family Fridays program and featuring the students of 99th Street Elementary School.

About two years ago, Commanding Officer Tingirides challenged the children to read 15,000 books by the end of each school year, but the children exceeded that challenge and read 27,000 books.  The second year the children were challenged to read 36,000 and again the children exceeded that goal and read 58,000 books.  This year the goal is to have each child increase their California state reading test scores by two levels at the end of the school year (June 2011).  

Radio Disney will have a short program to entertain the children, encourage them to continue reading, play games, and give the children prizes (stickers, DVDs, etc.).   Radio Disney executives have formed a new partnership between 99th Street Elementary and the LAPD Southeast Community Relations Office with the Stephanie Stark Hope Foundation (SSHF).   SSHF will donate over 1,100 new books for the pep rally and participate in the Southeast Area’s “Family Fridays,” a program in which LAPD officers read to the school’s children every first Friday of the month.  SSHF has graciously agreed to provide one to two books per student every first Friday until the end of the school year.  
    
Contact:
For additional information please contact Sergeant James Linder or Detective Wheeler at Southeast Community Relations office, 213-972-7962.