Andy Roddick: “Reading is Fundamental”

“Reach for your dreams by setting goals,” Andy Roddick read aloud from the book “Let the Games Begin!” by Maya Ajmara and Michael J. Regan at the “Celebrity Reading Room Event” on Monday, July 31st at Legg Mason.

Andy, James Blake, and Paul Goldstein were the tennis pro’s who came to read parts of this story at the 13th annual Washington Tennis & Education Foundation’s Arthur Ashe “Reading is Fundamental” event to children from the WTEF, and shared stories of living out their pro tennis dreams. After reading the first part of the book, the players were asked to each pick one child from the audience who seemed most enthusiastic about reading to come up and read along with them. Wayne Bryan, Mike and Bob’s father, and Pearl Hicks, a WTEF volunteer reading room teacher, asked a few tennis trivia questions and gave out numerous prizes throughout the morning. The grand prize, though, came when Andy, James, and Paul all jumped up and down with the kids yelling “Reading rocks!” at the end of the event for the cameras.

“Through the love of tennis and a rigorous academic program, WTEF is helping students to realize their full potential through discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship, and individual responsibility,” noted Legg Mason’s President and CEO Harry O’Mealia. The purpose of the WTEF is to improve the lives of D.C. area youth, particularly those from lower income communities, by providing athletic, academic, and life skills for more than 1,500 children ages five to 18.

Andy has shown through his own foundation that one of his goals is to help children today for tomorrow, and he did so today by showing these children that reading helps them live out their dreams for a better tomorrow.

Click here to see a brief video sample of the event.