Julia Sims: Carolina Hurricanes' Readvolution encourages reading - and builds community connections

I’ve been to plenty of hockey games, but have never had as much fun as I did Friday night.

I was with a few other parents, a gaggle of fourth graders and their wonderful and fearless leader, the teacher known as Mr. Z. The group hooped and hollered while cheering on the hometown team. Just watching the kids interact with their teacher (and each other) was something special.

The kids’ free tickets were courtesy of a partnership between the Carolina Hurricanes and Wake County Public Schools. Readvolution challenged students to read every day for several months. The payoff: a free game ticket.

Reading is the foundation for learning and the fact of the matter is some kids struggle with it or just don’t like it. Challenges like Readvolution provide just the motivation some kids need. Fortunately, Will is a book lover, so his joy came in setting a goal and reaching it.

So many organizations step up to help the children in our community. For example, last fall, fourth graders across the school district were treated to a day at the symphony. The N.C. Symphony, Duke Energy and the school system made the opportunity possible.

Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom, but in the world around us. These community partnerships expose our children to experiences they might not typically get to enjoy. A trip to the symphony might spark an interest in music. A night at a hockey game might encourage a child to try a new sport.

Of course, the best part of all these community connections is seeing smiles that come as a result... and this mom thanks every single organization that takes the time to connect with our kids.

Julia is a mom of a grade schooler and a former reporter for WRAL-TV. She now works for the city of Raleigh. Find her here monthly.