As part of the continuing dedication to the Bay Area community, the San Jose Earthquakes and Major League Soccer started off the National Education Association's 2004 "Get A Kick Out Of Reading" program last week.
As part of the program, the Quakes rewarded Bay Area students who excelled at reading during the past school year with tickets to the Quakes game against the New York MetroStars on June 12 and the June 26 match against the Kansas City Wizards at Spartan Stadium.
"I would like to thank the Earthquakes for the tickets," Laurelwood Elementary School third-grade teacher Ned Zuparko said. "The Earthquakes and their sponsors don't just say they believe in helping education - they actually do something about it."
Teachers awarded Quakes tickets to students who showed improvement and passion for reading. In the upcoming 2004-2005 school year, the Earthquakes will continue to be involved in even more "Get A Kick Out of Reading" activities, including player appearances and distributing educational materials.
"Our kids appreciate everything and they love the Quakes," Zuparko said about the program.
The Earthquakes would like to thank the following sponsors for their contributions to the "Get A Kick Out Of Reading" campaign: San Francisco Examiner, Bikram Yoga San Jose, Starbucks, Business Automated Solutions, John F. Turner Company, Yellow Checker Cab Company, Yahoo, Verity Inc, Pinnacle Systems, Silver Byron Estates, Brewers Community Services, The Masami VII Corp, San Jose Tied House, A & A Custom Cabinets, Genus, Crossroads Chevron, Maggianos Restaurant, Alameda Utd. Football Club, Mattress Discounters, Hewlett Packard, Waste Management and Citibank.
