BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC is proud to announce that the inaugural year of its summer reading program, Learning With Legion, was a hit amongst the greater Birmingham area.
The program launched last May with the goal of weaving the love of soccer and the passion of literature by awarding tickets for Legion FC matches to young readers. Over 50 local schools and organizations participated for a total of 1,125 books read and 375 tickets earned this summer.
“We are thankful for the outpouring of support from the City of Birmingham and local organizations that helped us champion this effort,” Legion FC Community Engagement Manager Julio Sanclemente said. “It was an incredible first year and we are looking forward to seeing even more young readers be rewarded for their efforts in literature and learning overall for many more years to come.”
Of those that participated, The Birmingham Public Library Central Branch won the friendly reading competition as the organization/school with the most books read. It will be honored at halftime of Birmingham’s upcoming home match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Wednesday, September 11.
As part of the outreach this summer, Legion FC also held public readings at Barnes & Noble locations throughout the area, as well as Robinson Elementary School, giving children an opportunity to interact with players in an engaging and personable environment. Additionally, the club held book donations outside of Protective Stadium for each of its home matches.
“It is incredibly important that kids read throughout the summer,” said Birmingham-resident Jared Vanderbleek, whose children participated in the program, “This was a great way to reach out to the kids in the area and it shows Legion FC’s commitment to success not only on the field, but off of it as well,”
Legion FC would like to thank all who participated this summer for Learning With Legion, as well as its program partners who helped make this worthwhile cause possible. Those partners are: City of Birmingham, Barnes & Noble, Birmingham City Schools, Alabaster City Schools, Homewood Public Library, Housing Authority – Birmingham District, NorthStar Ministries, Homewood Public Library, Alabaster Public Library, El Nido, Inspiritus, ¡HICA!, Birmingham Department of Youth Services and The Literacy Council.
After a stellar debut, the club is excited to push Learning with Legion to even greater heights for 2025 and beyond as it continues to spread its mission of supporting the education of local youth through soccer.
If your organization or business would like to be part of Learning With Legion next summer, contact Sanclemente at jsanclemente@bhmlegion.com.
