Vikings veteran players Tony Richardson, Kenechi Udeze and Bobby Wade introduced rookies Marcus McCauley and Sidney Rice to “Vikings Community Tuesday” at Bancroft Elementary School during a special assembly and reading session that also launched Qwest’s “Readers for Life” initiative.
Regular season Tuesdays are the only days Vikings players have off, but many of them choose to work in the local community rather than spend the day relaxing. Throughout the season, Vikings Director of Community Relations Brad Madson and many Vikings players will dedicate their Tuesdays to volunteer in the community by visiting schools, hospitals, charities and many other areas.
On Tuesday at Bancroft, students were able to meet the Vikings players and learn which books the players loved to read when they were kids. A large assembly was held in the gymnasium, allowing students to ask questions of the players and also allowing the players to relay a message regarding the importance of reading.
Richardson, who sponsors his own dictionary project in the Twin Cities, told the students that reading can take them any place in life they want to go. Udeze, who had visited Bancroft previously, also expressed the importance of reading and doing well in school.
After the assembly, the players visited classrooms and read books out loud to the students. Wade and Rice teamed up in one classroom, Udeze and McCauley were in another and Richardson and Vikings mascot Viktor were in a third classroom.
Bancroft Elementary School Principal Judi Golden was excited to have the Vikings and Qwest in the school to kick-off the reading program.
“Reading at Bancroft is a huge priority,” Golden said. “We’re currently working with a Reading First grant as well as other organizations to promote literacy. Our goal is to have all kids meeting or exceeding literacy standards by the time they leave Bancroft school. Kids have role models and heroes and when those individuals talk about the importance of reading it really makes kids want to read more.”
“There’s no doubt about it that being in the position that we are makes kids wide-eyed and impressionable when we come and the words that we share with them they are going to carry with them throughout their life hopefully,” Wade said. “Whatever words of encouragement that we can bring to them is really important, especially when you’re dealing with reading. We want to encourage them to read and tell them how it will help them in their life.”
Qwest, the “Vikings Community Tuesday” title sponsor, also began a program on Tuesday called the “Readers for Life” program. The project will help public school teachers and reading specialists secure books for students struggling with reading. The program provides kids fun-to-read books that build vocabulary and strengthen reading skills.
“Qwest and the Qwest Pioneers, which is a group made up of active employees and some of our retirees, have launched a program where we are going to visit schools across the state of Minnesota and give out some books with the mission of encouraging kids to be readers for life,” John Stanock, a Qwest representative said.