NBDL Team Starts \'Back To School\' Efforts in Roanoke City and County
August 19, 2002 - NBA G League (G League)
Roanoke Dazzle News Release
ROANOKE, Va., August 19, 2002 â School's in!! That means the Roanoke Dazzle is ready to welcome children back to the classroom, continuing the National Basketball Development League team's award-winning school programs of the 2001-02 season.
With three School Assembly and "Read To Achieve" sessions in the next three weeks, the Dazzle will welcome back students at Forest Park Elementary and Hurt Park Elementary in Roanoke City, and at Oak Grove Elementary in Roanoke County.
The Dazzle's first 2002-03 school trip is scheduled Thursday, August 22 from 9:15-11:15 a.m. at Forest Park Elementary, at 2730 Melrose Avenue NW, with an assembly and Read To Achieve program for second and third graders.
The NBDL team goes to Oak Grove Elementary (5005 Grandin Road Extension SW) on Friday, August 30, for an 8:30-10:30 a.m. session that includes an assembly and Read To Achieve. After a welcome to students, the Dazzle will help the school honor fourth and fifth graders for their passing the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.
On Friday, September 6, the Dazzle returns to Hurt Park Elementary (1525 Salem Avenue SW), where the team made its first school appearance in mid-September 2001. That 8:30-11 a.m. appearance includes an off-the-bus welcome, an assembly and a Read To Achieve session for first, third and fifth graders.
The Dazzle's "Back To School" team of staffers will be led by Team President Joe Preseren, Head Coach Kent Davison, the colorful and popular team mascot, Dazz, and selected Dazzle players, including Artie Griffin, Sah-u-Ra Brown and Derrick Hines.
This season, the Dazzle will also participate in the schools with "Character Counts!" That national coalition of schools, communities and organizations works to advance character education by teaching the "Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship."
The Dazzle is joining other Roanoke Valley pro sports teams and Virginia Amateur Sports, which stages the annual Olympic-style Commonwealth Games, as Character Counts! participants in the region.
Last May, the Dazzle was honored with one of Roanoke City Public Schools' top volunteer awards for 2001-02 â Business Partner with the Greatest Involvement. The Dazzle had nine staff members and eight players go into 13 different schools, reaching more than 4,000 students. The Dazzle spent more than 550 volunteer hours with Roanoke City schools in 2001-02.
With these three appearances to begin the 2002-03 school year, the Dazzle â in conjunction with Scholastic Inc. -- will have presented more than 2,000 books to children, schools, libraries and community organizations since the team made its Read To Achieve debut in September 2001. Last school year, the Dazzle read to or with nearly 1,600 youths and appeared at 20 School Assembly or Career Day programs, taking positive messages on character to 5,900 children.
Read to Achieve is a year-round program to help young people develop a life-long love for reading and encourages adults to read to children regularly. Reaching an estimated 50 million children annually, Read To Achieve â a National Basketball Association pilot program supported by the WNBA, NBDL and all 29 NBA teams â is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports. Efforts include the annual donation of more than 200,000 books.
The NBDL, based in Greenville, S.C., is the NBA's minor league. In addition to the Dazzle, the league includes the Asheville Altitude (N.C.), Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Greenville Groove (S.C.), North Charleston Lowgators (S.C.), Mobile Revelers (Ala.), Huntsville Flight (Ala.) and Columbus Riverdragons (Ga.). The league, which begins its second season in mid-November, had eight players and a head coach called up to the NBA since November 2001.
The Dazzle's 2002-03 NBDL season opener is scheduled Friday, November 15 against Huntsville, at the Roanoke Civic Center, in a 7 p.m. tipoff. For more information or to purchase Dazzle tickets, log on to roanokedazzle.com, or call the Dazzle at (540) 266-1000. More information on the NBDL is available at NBDL.com.
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NBA G League Stories from August 19, 2002
- Asheville Altitude to Host Inteactive Squad Tryouts - Asheville Altitude
- NBDL Team Starts âBack To School' Efforts in Roanoke City and County - Roanoke Dazzle
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