On Thursday June 5th, D.C. United players Eddie Johnson, Bill Hamid, & Perry Kitchen participated in a soccer-themed reading adventure at THEARC Theater in Southeast DC. The event, brought out over 250 kids from local area DC public and charter schools as part of JetBlue’s Soar with Reading program that encourages kids to take flight through reading and helps get books into the hands of kids who need them.
During the event, kids were greeted by United’s mascot, Talon, before they entered the theatre. To kick off the program, children were treated to a performance by character ambassadors Jack & Annie. Next was a short reading from the book Soccer on Sunday, the newest addition to the Magic Tree House series. To end the show, Johnson, Hamid and Kitchen held a Q&A session to talk about their lives as professional soccer players and the importance of reading, along with a short soccer skills demonstration. Each student received an autograph from the players as well as a copy of Soccer on Sunday and a drawstring goodie bag.
In 2011, JetBlue launched Soar with Reading, an award-winning program designed to encourage kids’ imaginations to take flight through reading. Since its inception, Soar with Reading has donated over $750,000 worth of books to children who love to read. JetBlue is asking customers to help the airline donate up to $500,000 worth of Magic Tree House books to kids in need by guessing where the storybook characters, Jack & Annie, are traveling. To place a guess, customers can discover clues on their whereabouts by visiting www.SoarWithReading.com.
