Thank you to the many families who knocked it out of the park at LINC’s Take Me Out to the Ball Game event on September 25th, 2020! In an afternoon jam-packed with thrilling baseball stories, activities, songs and sports cards, LINC families combined celebrating one of America’s favorite pastimes with literacy fun.
At the center of our bilingual event was a storytime led by LINC staff members Delilah Santamaria and Evelyn Cabreja featuring Out of the Ballpark by Alex Rodriguez, illustrated by Frank Morrison. Before the famed Yankees shortstop and record-smashing slugger became A-Rod, this story from his little league days shows young Alex learning the value of teamwork, determination, and learning from mistakes.
Afterward, guest reader Chabely Ramos shared the story Good Night, Yankees by Brad Epstein. This epic story took us from waking up on the day of the big game all the way through to nighttime dreams of becoming MLB legends.
LINC staff were hard at work preparing for the event, distributing arts and crafts supplies throughout neighborhoods to ensure families could join us in crafting baseball cards of their own. Featuring favorite personal traits and passions, these cards encouraged parents and children alike to imagine and share their superstar selves!
Finally, five lucky winners were chosen randomly as a part of the LINC Take Me Out to the Ball Game Instagram Challenge! Participants were encouraged to listen carefully for a secret question asked by LINC moderators during the event, email their answers and post images of their families engaging in the program on Instagram. Each prize package contained a LINC monogrammed baseball cap, a copy of Out of the Ballpark by Alex Rodriguez, and a $25 Target gift card.
Events like Take Me Out to the Ball Game reinforce for parents the importance of discovering creative and impactful ways to read together with their children. A critical step to getting a child to read is finding material that excites them! Whether it’s baseball, superheroes, outer space, or anything else, finding books on subjects they love is a surefire way to engage young readers.
Thank you to all who helped make this event a grand slam!
