Newport Gulls are Reading FANatics

Each year, the Newport Gulls partner with local schools to sponsor the FANatic About Reading program, bringing players into the classrooms and – hopefully – putting more books into children’s hands throughout the summer.

The goal of the program is for Gulls players to read to children in their classrooms to encourage the importance of reading among elementary and middle school students. The students are given bookmarks with a baseball diamond on them – three bases and home plate – that can be filled in when they read books in June and July. Completed bookmarks can be exchanged for a free game ticket on People’s Credit Union FANatic About Reading Night on Friday, July 27.

 “We give back to kids in communities that give us the summer of our lives,” said catcher Jeff Melillo at Portsmouth Middle School during one of the Gulls readings. “It’s the least we can do.”

“We’re grateful for the schools to be able to fit us into their schedules before the end of the year,” said Briana Paganetti, Gulls community relations coordinator, who has been helping to run the FANatic About Reading program this season. “It gives the players an opportunity to positively influence the children in an educational surrounding.”

“The FANatic About Reading program really helps the kids,” said Portsmouth Middle School 4th grade teacher Janet Holmes. “It encourages them to read because they love going to the games.”

Each year, students get excited to meet and spend time with the players. FANatic About Reading is just another one of the many ways that the Gulls give back to the local communities that support the organization.

“It’s a great experience interacting with the elementary students in nearby communities,” said Gulls infielder Brett Winger. “We know we’ve made a difference when the kids give us something back as simple as a thank you card… it’s something that I’ll always remember.”

So far this season, the Gulls team, comprised of the best collegiate baseball players from all over the nation, has visited 10 schools in Rhode Island over the course of two weeks. Players have read to , Forest Avenue, Gaudet Middle School, Aquidneck, Melville, Hathaway, Sullivan and Portsmouth Middle School, among others, and are scheduled to visit the remaining classrooms on Aquidneck Island over the next several weeks.

Each year, Gulls players read to over 3,000 students in Aquidneck Island schools through the program, which was developed to support education with children, according to Newport Gulls General Manager Chuck Paiva. Hundreds of those students who meet their goal of reading at least four books are honored on the field in late July each summer.

This season, the FANatic About Reading program will wrap up on July 27 on FANatic About Reading Night at Cardines Field. The Gulls are scheduled to take on division rival New Bedford Bay Sox at 6:35 p.m., with a pregame ceremony on the field honoring the students who completed the program beginning shortly after 6 p.m.