When you’re at the Boys and Girls Club, you expect to see your teachers everyday. What you don’t expect is to see former athletes and celebrities show up there. On Wednesday afternoon, the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur got a visit from some people that they will probably never forget seeing.
Andre Reed hosted his Read with Reed event at the Decatur Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday afternoon. The event, which featured current Atlanta Falcons cornerback Marcus Trufant, former player and current Atlanta Hawks commentator Mike Glenn, former NFL wide receiver Peerless Price and linebacker Takeo Spikes along with Reed and singer/actor Jason Weaver, talked about the importance of reading.
For Reed, the program was more than just a charity to do but something personal. Andre grew up with the Boys and Girls club being something that helped shape him.
With the kids, Reed talked about how reading can help develop their brains along with his five things on why reading is important which were (1) Cannot get a good job if you cannot read, (2)the brain is a muscle that has to be exercised, (3) Reading thirty minutes a day (4) you can gain knowledge from books and (5) you can learn words and expand your vocabulary.
Each individual that joined Reed also backed up the important of reading starting with Trufant. He grew up in Boys and Girls clubs just like the kids, but in the state of Washington. And what he said rang so true, “Reading is everything. It gives you knowledge and power.”
Glenn echoed some of the same thoughts as Trufant but then added this gem: “It is very important to learn to read. If you continue to learn and read, you will have greater success in life.”
Price echoed some of the same sentiments but Spikes brought even more importance to the thoughts of having to learn how to reach when he said “There is no way for you to get to the next level if you cannot read.”
And to drive the point home even more about reading and how it can affect your life, Weaver said that reading is important because “You want to have as much knowledge as you can to impart that to others.” Weaver also mentioned how he first fell in love with reading as a 12 year old: “I met an author on the set of a movie named Alex Haley. After I talked to him, I read one of his books, Roots. That was when I learned I had a passion for reading.”
The kids received prizes for remembering what the speakers said when being questioned during and after the speeches of the different individuals participating.
Also, a few kids spoke on what Andre’s book taught them as well as why reading is important to them and there were also four kids recognized as the top readers with an additional two being named the Reading MVP’s. And to close them out, rap artist Silento performed “Whip/Nae Nae” as well as him explaining that reading is important in the music industry as well.
Overall, the kids were rewarded for reading and it was instilled in them that reading is importance and Reading with Reed was a big success.
