IN OUR COMMUNITY - Los Angeles Dodgers

EDUCATION
Read acRoss ameRica
The DoDgers took an active role in the national literacy campaign,
“read Across America,” on March 2 when catcher A.J. ellis read to a
group of students in Arizona during spring Training. Meanwhile, a slew
of Dodger Alumni read to students at schools across Los Angeles.
“read Across America” is an initiative by the National education
Association and calls on children in every community to celebrate
reading annually on March 2, the birthday of children’s author Dr.
seuss. ellis read a Dr. seuss book to children at glendale’s Main Library,
not too far from the Dodgers’ spring Training home at Camelback
ranch — glendale in Arizona.
Dodger Alumni spread across the Los Angeles area to explain to
children the importance of reading. Former Dodger Kenny Landreaux
made a big impression on Laguna Nueva school in Commerce.
“This was a dream come true for a lot of them,” said gabriela
orozco-gonzalez, a teacher-lead at the kindergarten-througheighth-grade
school.
orozco-gonzalez wasn’t mincing words. she said the kids at
inner-city Laguna Nueva don’t often get the opportunity to see a
Current and former Dodgers with members of the Crenshaw High
School baseball team.
team think Blue
oN ApriL 26, the Dodgers honored the nine first-place winners of the 2011
Team Think blue Art and essay Contest at an awards luncheon at Dodger stadium
with special guest Dodger hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda. each
year the Dodgers, Dodgers Dream Foundation, Kaiser permanente and the Los
Angeles Times in education join forces for the literacy and education program.
More than 200,000 students participated in the Team Think blue program, and
this year’s winners were from 74th street gifted Magnet school, bassett street
elementary, our Lady of perpetual help school, eagle rock Junior and senior
high school, Wilmington Middle school, Flintridge sacred heart Academy,
Clark Magnet high school and san gabriel high school.
4 community report
A.J. Ellis took a break during Spring Training to read to kids at Glendale’s Main
Library in Arizona.
ballplayer, past or present, like Landreaux. on top of that, the former
Dodger outfielder who grew up in Compton didn’t just read to
the kids, he talked to them about his history and how he too went
to an inner-city school.
“They were able to relate to him,” said orozco-gonzalez. “he
just had a really amazing connection to them.”
cRenshaw high Visit
oN JACKie robiNsoN DAy, April 15, Dodgers past and present
led a discussion at Crenshaw high school about the importance
of the groundbreaking Dodger legend.
inside the school’s gymnasium, robinson’s former teammate
Don Newcombe emceed the event that included former Dodgers
Tommy Davis, Maury Wills and “sweet” Lou Johnson. Matt Kemp,
James Loney, Tony gwynn Jr., Marcus Thames and Crenshaw high
alumnus Trayvon robinson also joined in the event and told the
students how Jackie robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier
on April 15, 1947, opened the door for them.
Newcombe spoke of the injustices robinson faced and how he
overcame them to revolutionize the game and make a mark on
American history. he spoke of how branch rickey, the brooklyn
Dodgers’ general manager who signed robinson, told the man just
how vital he was to African-Americans.
“you fail and the whole program is scrapped. We need you to
be a leader,” Newcombe quoted rickey. “And Jackie was the leader
ladies and gentlemen. i kid you not.”
On April 26, Dodger Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda was
the guest speaker at the Team Think Blue Art and Essay Awards
Luncheon in the Stadium Club.
Jon SooHoo PHotograPHy
Jon SooHoo PHotograPHy