The Jaguars Foundation and the Jacksonville Public Library will co-host a kick-off event reintroducing www.playbooks.org , the official Playbooks website, as part of the Playbooks reading program with support from Reebok. The event will take place at 4:00 today at the Highlands branch of the Jacksonville Public Library, 1826 Dunn Avenue.
Speaking on the importance of reading, elements of the website, and access through library services will be Delores Barr Weaver, Jaguars Foundation Chair/CEO; and Peter M. Racine, Jaguars Foundation Executive Director; Jaguars guard Brad Meester; a Roar alumna/librarian; and Margaret Smith, Library Services Coordinator, Jacksonville Public Library. Brad Meester, Roar cheerleaders and Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville will sign autographs. Following the presentation, children can sign up for library cards (with a parent's signature).
"Parents reading to their children will build the most fundamental building block of a solid foundation. As their children grow, parents should continue to read together with them," said Peter Racine, Executive Director of the Jaguars Foundation. "We hope that the Playbooks website can be used as a tool for parents and teachers to encourage reading and provide fun reading-related activities for kids."
"In partnership with the Jaguars Foundation on programs such as Playbooks, we will encourage children to visit the library and to develop a love of reading," said Ken Sivulich, Jacksonville Public Library Director.
Youth and parents without Internet access can go to their nearest public library to access the Playbooks website. Children can find out the Jaguars players' favorite books and borrow them from the Jacksonville Public Library.
Playbooks originated as a compilation of books recommended by Jaguars players, cheerleaders, and senior staff. For the past several years, Playbooks have been in colorful booklet form in the public library systems of Duval, Clay and St. Johns counties where children obtained the Playbooks booklets by showing or signing up for a library card. An extension of the current Playbooks program, the Playbooks website will promote reading and library use to a wide audience of children via the Internet, allowing for more interaction with the public and up-to-date change.
Not only an electronic version of the Playbooks issue, this exciting and interactive website will include games for kids, book review contests, tips for parents and links to other reading sites. Jaguars players continue to be featured on the site and some with audio and video recordings of what they like to read and why.
The Jaguars Foundation's mission states that youth represent the community's future, and that "the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation is committed to serving the greater Jacksonville area through strategic financial, networking, and volunteer support benefiting economically and socially disadvantaged youth and families. By building upon our city's strengths, we seek to realize the positive potential of our young people in need. In doing so, we aim to serve as a model to other sports franchises."
The Dalton Agency, designer of the Playbooks each year since the program's inception, designed and programmed the new and improved Playbooks website, www.playbooks.org
