Meet the Chicago Wolves' Ryan Wagner at the Fox Lake Library

GLENVIEW, Ill. — The Chicago Wolves’ Read to Succeed program, presented by Butternut and J.U.L.I.E. Call 811, makes a stop in Fox Lake on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Rookie forward Ryan Wagner speaks with children at 7 p.m. at Fox Lake Public Library (255 Grand Avenue). All families are welcome to take part in these free visits that have engaged more than 500,000 students throughout the Chicago area since 1995.

Wagner, a 22-year-old born and raised in Park Ridge, joined the Wolves last April after completing four years at the University of Wisconsin. In addition to winning the team’s Spike Carlson/Chris Chelios Most Valuable Player award, he majored in community and nonprofit leadership – so he understands how rewarding it can be to make reading an integral part of your life.

The Wolves’ Read to Succeed program, now in its 24th year, highlights the importance of recreational reading and encourages children to take advantage of all the services libraries provide. The players emphasize reading beyond normal classroom activity and explain the ways they continue to benefit from recreational reading as professional athletes.

Read to Succeed participants can win prizes -- including Wolves tickets and knit hats -- for setting and achieving reading goals in conjunction with their local library. One child will get the chance to dress up in a player’s full uniform.

Over the last three months, Wolves players also have visited libraries in Chicago Ridge, Crystal Lake, Downers Grove, Huntley, LaGrange, Naperville, New Lenox and Woodridge. To find out when the Wolves are headed to a library near you, visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES