Cubs Caravan

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Spotlight on Reading: Cubs Caravan Visits Joan Martin

            Each year, the Chicago Cubs kick off their new season with a convention in Chicago before heading to Mesa for Spring Training.  In the days before the Cubs Convention, the team has two tours of players and management who appear at local schools as part of their Spotlight on Reading program.  The goal of this program is to increase and celebrate a love of reading, as well as improve literacy levels by rewarding reading achievements of local schools.  This years spotlight fell on Hobarts own Joan Martin Elementary.  Cubs manager Lou Pinella, broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly, along with players Ryan Dempster, Matt Murton, Sean Marshall, Mark DeRosa, Michael Wuertz, and Donnie Veal entered the friendly confines of Joan Martin on January 17.

            This was Len Kaspers second appearance at the school, as he responded to a letter written by Rhiannon Jolliffs first grade class last fall, making a visit in December 2005 to read to the first grade classes, and to discuss the importance of reading as well as the Lifelong Guidelines and Lifeskills.  It was his contact with Jolliff that made this years Caravan stop possible.   He was impressed with the school, and added the schools name to the list of possible Cubs Caravan tour sites.  In October, plans were underway for a visit and Kasper was happy to be on the Tour #1, which made its way to Hobart before stopping at the Avalon for another Caravan evening event.  To the delight of the students, he stated that he wears his Joan Martin shirt with pride.

            Kasper, along with the rest of the Cubs staff, answered student generated questions about reading, baseball, and the connection between the two during an hour-long convocation in the gym.  Students wanted to know what the players favorite books were, how often they read, and how reading has helped them to become better baseball players.  They also had many other questions.  The brave and inquisitive students were rewarded by having their picture taken with the Cubs, and receiving a Cubs reading t-shirt..  Kasper also had other students who earned prizes such as autographed baseballs for correctly answering baseball trivia questions.  The Joan Martin PTO donated Joan Martin t-shirts for all the players.  They were impressed!

            Meanwhile, in Jolliffs first grade class, Comcast taped Ryan Dempsters visit with her students for a special to be aired on Comcast On Demand during the 2007 season.  All eyes were on Dempster as he read, Sally Jean the Bicycle Queen, to the eager students.  The students were star-struck at first, but quickly warmed up to Dempster, and were ready to ask questions and even to ask him to sing, Take Me Out to the Ballgame with them.  The class asked him to get them started with his best Harry Caray voice, and after a brief lesson on Caray, and the history of the seventh inning stretch, Harry and the class sang.  Before joining his teammates in the gym, Ryan opened presents from the class, including their favorite book, Skippyjonjones, and a Joan Martin t-shirt.  He said he couldnt wait to read the book to his son, and told the students to look for the Joan Martin t-shirt on TV, as he promised to wear it to work out before games this season. 

            The students left the gym that day happy to have seen all the baseball celebrities.  They also learned the importance of reading, not only for gaining more knowledge, but for the joy that books bring to them.  The Cubs players certainly portrayed this important message to the Joan Martin children.